Anything For You
by Densetsuno Youko
Summary: YYHxover. Abuse is something Kagome has expierienced since birth - there was nothing to look forward to. Everything changes when a silver haired demon enters her life and unwillingly cares for her due to a misinterpreted request.
1. Abuse

Disclaimer: I don't own YYH or Inuyasha!

**_Okay, there is nothing that I would really consider rated R…but I wasn't sure. So it's rated R just to be safe. _**

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**Abuse**

Huff…it was heavy.

Huff…it was cold.

Wheeze…it was plain unfair.

Splash…it slipped.

"Oh, no." a petite female moaned dejectedly under her ragged breath. She ignored the severe pain that shot through her spine when she crouched down to retrieve her bucket, dismissing it as a minor setback. The girl cried out in silent scream pain as soon as the bucket came into contact with her bare skin. She reluctantly allowed her bucket to slip from her sore fingers once again. Utilizing the full moon as her only source of light, she carefully examined her callused hands, grimacing at the sight of her raw appendages. "It hurts," she murmured to no one in particular (there wasn't anyone there, anyway) while gently balling her hands into small fists.

"How much longer must I suffer this injustice?" she whispered softly to the stars, foolishly hoping someone – anyone would answer her question.

Ignoring the protests of her aching hands, she picked up her wooden bucket and hurried back to the old well. Grunting slightly with her strained efforts, she was finally able to reel in a large bucket of freezing water. She unceremoniously dumped the contents into her bucket, spilling a quarter of the water in the process. Wrapping her hands tightly around the bucket's handle, she heaved her heavy burden through the main part of her village and towards the back hills, where a small hut was situated.

"Kagome, what are you doing up at this ungodly hour?" a slightly older girl asked while bending down to pick up her fire cat demon - Kirara. Kagome plastered on a tired smile and glanced up into the dark night as if to confirm the elder girl's question before exhaling a wistful sigh.

"Well, Sango, I wouldn't be talking. What are you doing up so early…or late? Depending on how you're viewing it." Kagome laughed in an effort to hide the grimace of pain that had momentarily passed over her face. Kagome could feel a lump beginning to form in her parched throat when Sango's eyes lingered on her hands.

"It's my shift. We, exterminators, have to keep an eye on the village day and night." Sango finally replied, shifting her gaze from Kagome's hands to her face. "Even if it wasn't my shift, I would feel obligated to be out here. My father is the head of the exterminators in this village and I desire to help him carry some his many burdens."

"That's so thoughtful of you, Sango." Kagome grinned childishly, "It's just like you to say those things." Kagome took a quick glance at the sky before chirping, "I'm going to head back home now. I still have breakfast to make for my big family. See you around!" Before Sango could reply, Kagome was already heading home at a quick pace. Noticing Kagome's slightly hurried steps, Sango furrowed her brows in mild confusion.

"Hey, Kagome," Sango called out after Kagome's retreating figure. Kagome stopped dead in her tracks before slowly turning around to face Sango, whose face was creased with worry. "Kagome, you're working way too hard for your age. Every time I see you, you're always working. I've never seen anyone work as much as you do in my whole life. Why don't you tell one of your siblings to do the work for once? According to my knowledge, I've never seen them work before! Your family isn't mistreating you, are they? If they are, I'm going to…"

"O-Of course not," Kagome quickly blurted out, causing her cheeks to flame a light shade of red, "my parents…love me…I just like doing these chores." Kagome answered, grinning widely at Sango. "It's great exercise, don't you agree? Plus, I love the night air and running through the village! The stars are so pretty…and the moon is so bright…" Kagome rambled on, causing Sango to look at Kagome suspiciously.

"Don't you want to have some time just to enjoy yourself?" Sango asked, "Even I take a break every now and then. It's not healthy to work the way you do."

"Sango, I can't," Kagome sighed, deciding it wouldn't hurt to give Sango some of the truth. "There is just too much work that needs to be done. Kikyou is the village priestess, so I can't bother her with any chores. Mother and Father shouldn't have to work at their old age. Koharu, Nazuna, Kaeda, and Souta are too young to be doing such harsh chores." Kagome explained.

"What about Maya? As far as my knowledge goes, she just sits around acting as if she's some royal princess that had descended from heaven to grace this unworthy earth of her presence." Sango quickly lashed out.

"Eh, you mean Maya? Never mind her. Maya wouldn't know how to wash dishes if her life depended on it. She'll only cause me more trouble than she's worth." Kagome giggled softly. "You know how she is. She spends her whole day fantasizing about marrying a handsome, rich, and powerful lord. Anyway, you don't have to worry about me. I know my limits."

"All right, but if you need anything or if there's anything I can do to help, you promise you'll let me know." Sango informed Kagome, leveling her brown orbs with Kagome's blue one. "Also, if anyone picks on you at all, just tell me, and I'll beat the crap out of them." Kagome warily eyed Sango's tightly balled fist and gulped. "I haven't had much practice lately anyway."

"Heh, right," Kagome replied, assuring Sango she'd tell her if anyone was picking on her. Kagome murmured a quick, "bye," to Sango before walking down the road at a slow pace.

"Hey, Kagome…" Sango trailed, causing Kagome to turn around to face the exterminator once more. "Be careful and stay away from the forest. Some nasty demons reside there and lately, attacks from them have become more frequent."

"I'll remember that." Kagome replied. "Thanks for the warning Sango, or else I'll still be confused on how I died when I meet King Yama."

"Also, if you ever run into a strange looking human, it is most likely a demon – a very powerful demon. Not many demons can hold a humanoid form, but beware of those that can. Their beauty is what makes them deadly." Sango advised.

"Why are you telling me this?" Kagome asked sheepishly. "It's not like I'd be able to escape if I did run into one of them."

"At least you'd know how you died." Sango grinned, causing a smile to spread across Kagome's rosy lips.

"Bye Sango!" Kagome gasped out between fits of giggles. "I really need to get back home and start on breakfast."

Kagome could feel the burning friction caused by the bucket rubbing against her raw skin the whole trek up the hill. The exhausted girl stopped before her home to catch her breath before slowly pushing aside the flap of animal skin, which served as a door and a shield against the harsh winds. "_The sun is about to rise._" Kagome thought happily to herself.

Kagome quietly tiptoed in and placed the bucket of water near the cooking fire. Without stopping for a break, Kagome swiftly grabbed some of the remaining vegetables from the storage and chopped it into bite sized pieces. She smiled happily as she stopped to scoop some of the water into a pot to boil above the blazing fire. While she waited for the water to boil, Kagome lost herself in the intricate designs created by the fire. She yipped in surprise when she nearly forgot to drop the vegetables into the bubbling hot water.

Kagome waited patiently for the vegetable stew to cook, taking this spare moment to wipe away the sweat that trickled down her forehead and neck with a dirty piece of rag. Kagome's hand lingered above her left shoulder, where her birthmark- a blazing flame – was imprinted. Tracing her dull fingernails over the area, Kagome's eyes returned to the fire before her. "_Sango, I do wish for spare moments dedicated to myself. I wish to be free – free from my imprisonment- free from my family. I wish for someone to care for me. But most of all, I wish for po…_"

Kagome's thoughts were cut short when the pot rattled, causing steam to erupt from the sides of the lid. Quickly opening the pot's lid with her piece of rag, Kagome gently stirred the stew's contents. Taking a wooden spoon from nearby, Kagome daintily lifted the liquid-like stew to her lips. Before she had even registered the taste of the stew, a shrill voice coldly demanded, "What do you think you're doing?" causing Kagome to drop the spoon in surprise. "Food doesn't grow on trees, silly girl. If I catch you stealing food from the family stew again, I'll…."

"I was only testing the flavor, mother." Kagome quietly protested. "_Apples are food, right? Apples grow on trees, don't they?_" Kagome thought idly to herself, but wisely kept the latter tidbit of information to herself.

"Do not lie to me, you good-for-nothing child!" the woman accused, pointing a finger in Kagome's direction. Kagome wisely bit her lips and waited for her mother to finish her ranting.

"Isn't it a little early to be causing trouble?" Kikyou asked softly, her dull brown eyes showing slight signs of annoyance and irritation. Kagome could feel her cheeks flame a deep red in embarrassment when she noticed her two elder sisters, Kikyou and Maya with her younger sisters and brother in tow. "I wish for silence. I cannot concentrate with this racket. What if demons attacked? It would be your fault, Kagome, if I wasn't able to sense them." Kikyou continued, without missing a single beat.

"Yes, little sister." Maya added haughtily, emphasizing the word 'sister'. "It will be entirely your fault."

"Mama?" a young boy yawned, rubbing the sleep from his sleepy eyes.

"Yes, baby?" the woman asked softly, allowing her personality to take a huge flip.

"_She's so nice to Souta, I wouldn't even have recognized her if I hadn't been spending my whole life with her._" Kagome thought bitterly to herself.

"Did you sleep well? Are you hungry?" The little boy nodded his head enthusiastically. "You heard it, girl! Hurry up and serve breakfast before your father wakes up. You know how he is in the morning without his breakfast! Don't stand there like an idiot!"

Kagome quickly moved to do as she was bid, afraid to anger her mother any further, which would most likely result in a whipping – in front of her siblings. "_Maya will get a kick out of that. She'll be happy as long as I'm not._" Kagome thought sourly to herself. "_But one day, I will..._"

"Good morning, Kagome!" the little boy chirped, successfully knocking Kagome out her thoughts. After taking a small sip, he exclaimed, "This tastes great, Kagome!"

"Thank you, Souta." Kagome replied, while serving breakfast to her other siblings. "Good morning Kikyou, Maya, Koharu, Nazuna, Kaeda." Kagome greeted each and every one of her family members ranking by age. Kagome's younger siblings replied with a slight nod of acknowledgement while her elder sisters completely ignored her existence.

Kagome quickly handed a large bowl of stew to her father as soon as he took his spot at the head of the table. "This is it?" Her father roared in outrage, looking distastefully at the watery substance.

"Yes, there isn't that much food left." Kagome replied as her father took a large gulp of the stew. "_Not when no one in this family is working, but me._"

"That's because you're eating all the food behind everyone's back! You thought we wouldn't notice, didn't you? But I caught you red handed this morning!" Kagome's mother shamelessly accused her daughter, causing Kagome's father to turn his furious glare on Kagome. Kagome gulped and quickly took a small step backwards.

"I didn't do that, honest!" Kagome whimpered. "_Even if I did eat food behind your backs, not that I did, it wouldn't be considered stealing. You can't really steal from yourself now, can you?_"

"Let's hope so, or else I'm going to have to use drastic measures to teach you a lesson." Kagome's father warned, allowing the unvoiced threat to hang heavily in the air. "You added way to much salt to this stew. Salt isn't cheap, you stupid girl. Next time don't use so much!" Kagome absently nodded her head in understanding, suddenly finding her painfully small shoes very interesting.

"Aren't you going to eat, little sister?" Maya taunted before a false look of horror crossed her pretty features. "Oh no, there's no stew left." Kagome effortlessly ignored her sister's taunting (since she had her whole life to master it), choosing instead to loose herself in the fire that still continued to burn passionately.

"Kagome," her mother commanded, "go chop us some fire wood. That way, we won't have to buy wood, they aren't cheap either."

"But, it's dangerous out there!" Nazuna quickly blurted, fear entering her eyes. "I heard scary demons live in the forest! I don't think anyone has come out alive from that forest!" Souta gasped, his eyes turning to the size of saucers.

"That's nice, dear." their mother replied lazily, while trying to comfort her youngest child. "Now hurry up you lazy girl, we need the wood today in order to keep us warm and cook food." Kagome promptly grabbed the old family ax and headed for the forest, glad to get a chance to evade her family members.

"I'll walk you there, little sister." Maya suddenly offered, a cruel smirk lighting her red lips. As soon as the duo set foot outside of the hut, Maya grabbed Kagome's raw hands. "Pity, with your looks and slave-like demeanor, you'll never find a handsome, rich, and powerful lord as your husband. Wait, no, you'll be lucky if you find anyone who would want you at all!" Maya giggled happily.

"That's what you think." Kagome growled, glaring at her older sister. "I didn't know you could predict the future."

"I don't have to, it's written all over your ugly face. You are not destined for a luxurious life, unlike me." Maya smirked. "You should feel honored. You have a sister who's going to be the next lady of these lands! How does the title Lady of the East sound to you?"

"The Lord of the East is a demon." Kagome pointed out, "_Where in the world did she get the idea that she would be the next Lady of the East?_"

"Yes, but he is kind and fair to both humans and demons. He's a powerful fox demon. I heard he is extremely handsome and courteous as well." Maya proudly informed.

"You wouldn't know." Kagome replied, hoping to end this pointless discussion. "And you never know; I might just get the better husband."

"How about this, if you can get a better husband than me, I'll gouge out my eyes?" Maya laughed. "But don't put your hopes up, because that will never happen. How many can beat the Lord of the East? As far as my knowledge goes, there are only two candidates. Lord of the West and Lord of the South. You'll never get either of those titles."

"Never say never," Kagome promptly reminded, gripping her ax tightly. "_Even if you are right,_" Kagome thought to herself.

Maya snorted before turning to walk back up the hill. "Have fun chopping wood." Maya called.

"_Ignore her, ignore her._" Kagome chanted silently to herself, concentrating on placing one foot before the other. Before she had even realized it, she had already arrived at the edge of the forest. Kagome stopped herself from venturing any further into the forest when a sensation of foreboding throbbed dully in her subconscious.

"_Be careful and stay away from the forest. Some nasty demons reside there and lately, attacks from them have become more frequen_t." Sango's warning echoed loudly in the recess of Kagome's mind. "_Also, if you ever run into a strange looking human, it is most likely a demon – a very powerful demon. Not many demons can hold a humanoid form, but beware of those that can. Their beauty is what makes them deadly._"

"It's dark." Kagome murmured softly to herself, griping her ax tightly. A startled gasp escaped her slightly parted lips when her ax was suddenly yanked from her grasps. "Give it back!" Kagome ground out between clenched teeth as she glared at the village boys.

"Look, it's Kagome. So, what are you going to do about it?" the leader of the pack of boys asked, twirling the ax causally in his right hand. "Are you afraid to face us without that exterminator of yours? Wait, if I'm not mistaken, you wanted to enter the forest, right? What's holding you back? Are you scared of the big bad demons? Boo hoo, are you going to wet yourself?" This was followed by a fit of giggles from the other boys.

"Just leave me alone!" Kagome growled in warning, "And give me my family ax back!"

"Oh, you mean this piece of junk? How about, no?" the leader laughed. Without the slightest warning, Kagome charged head on at the leader, wrapping her hands tightly around her ax and trying in vain to pull back what was hers. Rough hands harshly grabbed her shoulder, securing her tightly in their grasps. She felt the air leave her lungs when a hard kick was dealt to her stomach.

"Hey, Keiji, what should we do to her?" the boys asked their leader in unison. Keiji seemed to be lost in his own sadistic thoughts for a minute before a wide smirk crossed his lips. Kagome glared at Keiji as he grabbed a fistful of her black locks and slapped her hard across the cheek. Fresh blood trickled down the edge of Kagome's mouth, leaving a trail of red in its wake.

Keiji tilted Kagome's head towards her right shoulder blade, revealing the flame mark above her left shoulder. "Let's skin her…then we can keep this unusual piece of birthmark!" This was echoed with agreements by the others as Keiji pulled out a small dagger and examined the blade closely. Kagome felt herself fall forward when she was brutally pushed off balance.

Kagome thrashed wildly within their grasps, trying to pull away from the sadistic Keiji. Kagome eyes burned a dark shade of blue when Keiji pushed the blade into her soft flesh, where her birthmark was imprinted. Kagome slammed her eyes shut, biting her lips to keep herself from screaming out in pain. "_No one's going to hear me anyway. Even if they did, they wouldn't help…_"

Kagome snapped her eyes open when the dagger was slapped from Keiji's hand to the ground with a loud clang. Kagome felt the hold on her limbs slacken before she was completely released. Kagome raised her blue eyes to her savior, an ethereal-looking human, who was holding Keiji by the neck. "Angel-sama, p-please let me go!" Keiji whimpered as he trembled within the angel's grasps. Kagome was captivated by the angel's long, silky hair and molten gold eyes while Keiji urinated in his pants.

"I'm the farthest possibility from an angel." the silver-haired 'angel' informed the boys in a cold, masculine voice.

"P-please let me go!" Keiji pleaded once again.

The silver-haired 'angel' scrunched his nose in distaste before tossing Keiji aside with one swift motion. Kagome watched in unveiled amazement at the 'angel's' beauty and grace. "Disgusting." he snorted, analyzing the gang of boys through cold, calculating eyes. The boys quickly grabbed Keiji's unconscious form and ran for their pitiful lives.

Kagome's eyes fell to the 'angel's' hands and noticed the razor sharp claws. "_He's a demon. If this is Sango's definition of strange, than I would never guess..._" Kagome trailed off in her mind when she felt her eyes cloud over in exhaustion. Kagome fell forward, but the demon swiftly caught her before she could injure herself any further. He gently pushed Kagome's hair over her right shoulder blade and carefully examined the flame birthmark, which was crusted with blood.

"I don't see what's so special about you," the demon murmured coldly, "but I will keep my promise." The demon tossed his silver hair over his back as he scooped Kagome's small form into his arms. Kagome snuggled closer to the unknown demon as he carried her deeper into the dark forest with swift, quick movements.

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Please read and review!

_Summer Biology is over, so hopefully I can give quicker updates. ;) _


	2. Bath

Disclaimer: I don't own YYH or Inuyasha!

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**Bath******

Warm.

Soft.

Kagome silently snuggled deeper into the fur pelt beneath her before quickly snapping her baby blue eyes wide open. "_Keiji,_" Kagome's frazzled mind screeched out. A tendril of fear gripped her pounding heart when all she could see was dark, ominous trees looming above her. Darkness enveloped the whole forest and would have enveloped her if it wasn't for the fire that burned brightly beside her. The fire provided some sense of comfort to the disheveled girl, who was trying desperately to calm her pounding heart. "_Fire has always calmed and comforted me. It has always been there for me when no one else has – fire – my only friend._" Kagome thought idly to herself, "_As pitiful as it may sound, it's all that I have._" A small smile graced her bruised lips as she watched the fire dance before her, succeeding in temporarily suppressing her fears.

"I see that you are finally awake." a calm voice penetrated Kagome's silent obsession with the fire before her, bringing her back into her panic-stricken state. "Your fear is weighing heavily in the air," the voice continued, "fear will spur on the feeble-minded demons to attack you." Kagome swallowed a thick lump in her throat and turned to face the source of the masculine voice. The speaker was completely hidden in the shadows, but his molten gold eyes were clearly visible, even to the naked human eye.

Memories of what had just recently taken place dawned on Kagome, causing her to blush when she realized that she was gapping at her savior, probably resembling something akin to a dead fish. "_I bet I look horrible._" Kagome thought dejectedly to herself. "_But does it really matter? I've always looked horrible. Everyone has told me that, except Sango, but I know it's true._"

"Are you aware of what had taken place?" her savior asked in a deadpan voice. Kagome vigorously nodded her head while keeping her eyes trained on the ground before her.

"T-thank you for saving me from the village boys," Kagome finally managed to utter before biting her already bruised lips. "Um, are you a demon?" Kagome suddenly blurted, unable to contain her curiosity at bay. Kagome was answered with a curt nod from her savior after he stepped out from behind the curtain of shadows. Kagome's blue eyes skimmed over her savior's perfectly chiseled face and loosely clad body. "_He must be a kitsune demon._" Kagome deducted when her eyes locked on her savior's inhuman fox ears and tail.

Kagome backed up slightly when her angelic savior bent down to her eye level. "You smell putrid, even worse than the average human." he casually informed Kagome while turning up his nose in disgust. "The least you humans can do is bathe once in while, even if you will still stink afterwards. I guess the smell is hereditary?"

Kagome turned a bright shade of red in embarrassment, "_I don't stink that much, don't I?_" Kagome asked herself self-consciously. "_Maybe I do, since I can easily smell my own odor of sweat and grime – that's saying a lot. I must smell ten times worse to him, since he's a demon. Sango told me demons have much sharper senses than humans. At least he's not an inu, or I don't think he would even be able to stand being next to me._"

"There's a small stream not far from here. I want you bathe there and clean yourself. I assume you know how to do that?" he asked, earning a small nod from Kagome. "Then follow me." he commanded and Kagome immediately stood up, wincing in pain when her sudden movement irritated her injuries. "I'll take a look at your wounds once you get cleaned up." the kitsune informed Kagome emotionlessly before walking towards the stream.

Kagome had to jog to keep up with her savior's long, quick strides. After a ten minute walk (jogging on Kagome's part), the kitsune stopped before a small stream that glistened with life under what little sunlight that was able to shed through the thick foliage. "Um," Kagome started, halting the kitsune in his tracks when he prepared to leave, "may I please know your name?" Kagome finished timidly, averting her gaze slightly. "Uh, you don't have to answer that if you don't want to. I know I'm being nosy and…"

"Youko." the kitsune replied coldly before walking back towards their campsite. Kagome stood in silence for a few moments, seemingly lost in her own thoughts. Kagome released a soft sigh and allowed a small smile to tug at the corners of her dry lips as a mental image of her savior reappeared in her mind's eye.

"_Youko,_" Kagome murmured silently to herself as she began to undress, "_he saved me._" Kagome shivered in response to the freezing cold water and decided to wait for a few minutes to allow her body to adjust to the sudden change of temperature. Kagome ignored the pain that shot through her spine when she scrubbed the grime and dirt from her body. "_It's not like I don't like to bathe. I was just never given the chance. I can't remember the last time I did bathe. There was never time for it. If I'm disgusted with myself and my scent, then_ _he must be repulsed…_"

"Here, wear this instead of that old rag." Youko stated, tossing Kagome a plain, dark blue kimono. Kagome quickly crossed her arms over her chest while her face flushed bright red at being caught nude. A sigh of relief escaped her lips when Youko turned and left, leaving her alone once again. Kagome slowly made her way to the edge of the stream and gently lifted the new kimono into her hands for closer inspection.

"_Wow,_" Kagome thought in silent awe as she looked over the kimono. "_I've never worn anything as beautiful as this before. Even if it is plain, I doubt even Maya has worn anything better than this. The quality of this kimono must make it expensive._" A startled yip escaped her lips when Youko returned again, but this time, he carried some herbs in his clawed hands.

"Huh? What are those for?" Kagome asked while stretching out her palm to receive what Youko was handing her. "_I feel like an idiot. I don't know anything except housework, more work, forced labor, more work, serving, and did I mention more work?_"

"Use these herbs to clean yourself." Youko answered; his golden eyes void of all emotion. "It should rid your body of that putrid scent." Kagome nodded her head and resumed bathing herself when Youko disappeared into the forest. After quickly rubbing the soapy herb over her body and into her hair, Kagome dunked herself under the water to rinse off the foam.

Kagome stepped out of the stream, shivering uncontrollably before donning her new kimono over her slick, wet body. Grabbing a fistful of her raven black hair, Kagome attempted to squeeze as much of the water as she could from her silky tresses. "A human in this part of the forest?" asked an amused voice. "I'm surprised to find a human here at all. You're either incredibly brave or incredibly stupid. But, seeing as you're a human, I believe it's the latter."

Kagome averted her attention from her dripping wet hair to the hideously green demon to the left of her. As soon as the demon took a step towards her, Kagome took a step back, it took another step closer, and Kagome took another step back. This went on for a few moments before Kagome turned around to flee for her life at a break-neck speed. Ignoring the painful rocks that jutted into her bare feet, Kagome concentrated on escaping the hideous demon, which she knew was toying with her before making its final blow.

Accidentally running over a loose tree root, Kagome felt herself falling over head first towards a sharp rock. Kagome closed her eyes and braced herself for the painful impact, but she was greeted instead by a pair of arms wrapping around her small frame. "Does that bitch belong to you?" the demon snickered as Kagome slowly opened her eyes. "Is she your lunch or your mate?" the low level demon continued. "If it is the latter, then I must say, you make very stupid choices."

"_Youko,_" Kagome sighed in relief as her savior helped her to her feet. Understanding Youko's gesture for her to step back, Kagome soundlessly stepped behind Youko, somehow knowing he'll be able to keep her safe. Youko smirked cruelly at the low level demon before him, a sadistic gleam entering his usually emotionless eyes.

"Consider yourself lucky, you low-life scum, that you get to die by my hands." Youko announced coldly, causing the demon to take small steps backwards. "No one gets away with mocking Youko Kurama and lives to tell the tale." Kagome watched with unveiled amazement as the demon's eyes widened in terror at the announcement of her savior's name.

"_Youko must be really powerful if his name alone strikes fear in these demons._" Kagome thought to herself while watching with unhidden awe as trees and plants bloomed into life in mere seconds. The trees wrapped their thick branches around the weak demon, squeezing what little life he had in his body. "_This must really deflate his pride, but what does pride matter in the face of death?_" The plants opened their mouths (complete with razor sharp teeth) before the tree dropped the limp body into their watering mouths.

"Wow," Kagome gasped, "I didn't know that, that was possible!" Youko turned his attention to Kagome, smirking slightly at Kagome's amazement. "Thank you for saving me…again." Kagome murmured as she followed Youko back towards their temporary camp.

"_I was sure the human would have fainted at the gruesome sight that she had just witnessed._" Youko thought idly to himself as their camp came into view. "Sit," Youko coldly commanded and Kagome readily obeyed. Youko moved behind Kagome and gracefully sat behind her, pulling her hair over her right shoulder blade to reveal her bruised and damaged skin. Pulling a seed out from within his clothes, Youko sent a wave of his power into the seed, coaxing it to grow in a matter of seconds. Pulling a few leaves from the plant, he gently placed them on top of Kagome's wounds.

Kagome's face burned a bright red when she felt Youko's finger brush against her bare skin and shivered slightly when the cool leaves were applied to her wounds. "_It hurts, but it doesn't seem to matter. His touch is so soft and light._" Kagome thought to herself before burning an even darker shade of red when she realized what she was thinking about. Kagome squeaked in surprise when she felt Youko pull down her kimono to reveal her bare flesh to him. Kagome's face resembled something akin to an overripe tomato when she felt Youko's hot breath on her bare flesh. "_My face probably resembles a baboon's butt. Can I possibly get any redder than this?_" Kagome silently asked herself. "Youko…"

"Where did these wounds come from? They're a little old to be from that demon." Youko asked indifferently, successfully cutting off Kagome's sentence. Youko felt Kagome tense considerably as soon as his question left his lips.

&Flashback&

"Kagome, you stupid, good-for-nothing girl!" her mother screeched, connecting her palm with Kagome's pale face. Kagome covered her bruising cheek with her left hand while picking up the shattered pieces of the glass with her right. Kagome's mother smirked cruelly before stepping on Kagome's right hand and grinding it into the shattered pieces of glasses. "That should teach you to quit breaking the family possessions, you ugly thing!"

Kagome screeched in pain, silent tears rolling down her puffy, red cheeks. Kagome quickly retracted her right hand when her mother finally released it from under her shoe. Kagome examined her hand through tear-streaked eyes, crying even harder when the pain hit her full force. Feeling the punishment was too light, Kagome's mother grabbed some spare shards of glass and jabbed it through her daughter's left palm, tearing through both her skin and muscle until it slightly scraped her bones.

Maya promptly walked up to their mother and whispered something excitedly in her ear before handing their mother a spiked whip made from the bones of wolves. Kagome's eyes widened in fright and scrambled backwards, clutching her bleeding hands. "Kikyou, Maya, hold Kagome down." their mother commanded, a sadistic smirk permanently etched to her lips whenever her eyes fell on Kagome.

Kikyou grabbed Kagome's right arm while Maya harshly took Kagome's left, successfully stopping Kagome from attempting on an escape. Maya wasted no time in pulling down Kagome's old, dirty clothes to reveal her already torn flesh from previous punishments. Blood curling screams echoed throughout the night as Kagome's mother mercilessly brought the whip down and across Kagome's flesh, revealing blood and tissues with each impact. Blood flowed freely from her torn veins and arteries, while Kagome pleaded between screams for her mother to stop.

&End Flashback&

Kagome was shook out of her painful memories when she felt Youko's cool hands applying herbs to her wounds. "_If my screaming hadn't awoken Souta and the others that night, I wouldn't be here today. I would have died, and no one would have cared. I was lucky that only chunks of my flesh have been torn from me that night._" Kagome thought angrily to herself."Why are you helping me?" Kagome asked after her anger diminished, not realizing she had voice her thoughts.

"That is something you do not need to know." Youko answered while applying more herbs to her, not missing the silent scream of pain every time his hands came into contact with her flesh (at least, what's left of it). Kagome nodded her head as large beads of sweat rolled down from her brow. "Turn around." Youko commanded after he had pulled Kagome's kimono back up. "Let me see your hands." Kagome reluctantly extended both her arms and opened her hands, revealing her raw and bruised flesh with pieces of glass embedded in them.

"Hold still." Youko informed Kagome before lengthening his claws. Biting back the urge to run at the sight of those deadly claws, Kagome chanted to herself that if Youko had wanted her dead, she would have already been dead. Kagome slammed her eyes tightly shut, trying to keep her tears of pain to a minimum, when Youko began to pull the shards of glasses from her raw flesh. Kagome retracted her hand on impulse when Youko prepared to remove a particularly deep shard of glass. Kagome opened her mouth to apologize, but quickly slammed her mouth shut when Youko pulled her into his lap (mindful of the injuries on her back). Kagome tensed slightly before stiffly placing her head against Youko chest, but soon relaxed when Youko didn't seem to mind the contact.

Kagome felt her cheeks flame a deep red when Youko loosely wrapped his left arm around her shoulder and grabbed her left hand to keep it in place while picking out the remaining shards with his right hand. Kagome took raspy breaths as the shards were ripped from her flesh (there wasn't any other way since they were embedded so deeply). Hoping to divert her attention from the pain, Kagome buried her face into the crook of Youko's neck. "_I don't know why he's doing this for me,_" Kagome thought to herself as Youko picked out the last shard, "_but it feels nice being with him and in his arms. It makes me feel…safe and protected. I never thought I would ever experience this feeling, but I did. I know what it feels like, and I don't want to loose that feeling._"

"What is your name?" Youko asked calmly as he bandaged Kagome's throbbing hands. Kagome blinked in confusion, earning an irritated look from Youko. "That is, unless you prefer me to keep on calling you human."

"Kagome," Kagome quickly replied when she finally comprehended Youko's question. "Sorry," Kagome apologized, knowing she must have acted like an idiot just a second ago. Youko seemed to ignore her apology as he lifted her out of his lap. Kagome instantly missed the warmth of his body as Youko continued to bandage her feet, which she had just recently injured.

The two sat in relative silence, with Youko bandaging and looking for more wounds and bruises. When Youko was finally completed, Kagome could hear her stomach grumbling in protest. A blush crept over Kagome's pale features once again as she attempted to quiet her stomach. Kagome found herself alone in the forest once again when Youko suddenly disappeared from her sight. Thinking back to what had just taken place; Kagome felt her cheeks take on a pink tinge. Her blush only deepened when Youko reappeared with a rabbit in his clawed hand. "_What's happening to me? Why am I blushing just because he's here?_"

Kagome watched as Youko gracefully skinned the rabbit and roasted it over the fire. Youko bluntly ignored Kagome's lingering gaze on him as he continued to roast the rabbit he had easily caught. Youko sliced the rabbit into small pieces and placed them before Kagome. "_She'd probably harm herself further otherwise – even if it is just eating – humans are pathetic._"

"Are you going to eat?" Kagome asked softly, refusing to meet Youko's golden eyes.

"I am, but I don't eat cooked food." Youko informed in a frigid tone.

"Oh." Kagome replied as Youko disappeared from her line of vision once again. Kagome slowly devoured her dinner as she smiled happily. "_I think this is the best day of my life. I've never been held like that before. Neither has anyone made dinner for me – I usually don't even get dinner._"

Youko reappeared back in camp soon after Kagome finished her dinner. Youko noticed that Kagome could barely keep her eyelids open and snorted slightly in amusement. "Go to sleep." Kagome heeded Youko's words and quietly slipped back onto the fur pelt that he had provided for her.

"Good night," Kagome whispered softly while watching Youko jump into a high tree limb. Kagome was about to drift asleep when Youko spoke again, alerting Kagome to wakefulness. Kagome struggled to stay awake as she listened intently to the kitsune's words.

"I'm going to send you back to your village tomorrow." Youko informed the girl beneath him; noting how Kagome visibly tensed at his words. Kagome absently bit her bruised lower lip, dreading the day when she would be sent back to her 'family' and 'village' (which would be tomorrow). "Stay out of trouble and harm." Youko continued, startling Kagome from her dreadful thoughts. "I'll pick you up at night after I finish some business."

"Really?" Kagome asked, unable to find a better word to express her happiness. "_He's not leaving me at my village? Is he going to allow me to follow him?_" Kagome asked herself hopefully.

"Hn." snorted Youko. "I would leave you at your village, but that's where you probably received those wounds." Kagome slowly nodded her head in confirmation, before silence befell them again. Taking this as her cue to rest, Kagome quickly fell into a peaceful slumber – one that she has never experienced before. "_If I leave you at your village to be continuously mistreated, then I would be breaking my promise._" Youko thought to himself, "_But, are you really worth the trouble – even if it is a promise?_"

&&&

Please read and review!


	3. Mistaken Identity

Disclaimer: I don't own YYH or Inuyasha!

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**Mistaken Identity**

Cracking one of his golden eyes open, Youko watched with mild surprise as Kagome awoke before the crack of dawn. He had been positive the human would have slept like the dead – especially with the extent of her injuries. But no, she had surprised him – him, Youko Kurama. No one, youkai and ningen alike had been able to accomplish that feat. It had always been the other way around.

"Good morning, Youko-sama," Kagome greeted cheerfully when she noticed his lingering gaze. Due to his perfect emotionless mask, Kagome failed to detect her savior's suppressed frown. After a few, silent moments, the kitsune acknowledged the female's greeting with a slight inclination of his head. "Um, I'm going to go bathe." Kagome shyly informed while fiddling with her fingers behind her back.

"Don't take to long," Youko stated before dissolving into thin air (at least, that's what it looked like from Kagome's point of view). Flashing a bright smile at the area where Youko had previously occupied, Kagome hurried towards the small stream where she had bathed just the day before. In her giddy mood, she failed to realize she had forgotten to pack any of her bath necessities (which included the basic towel and soap/herb).

After regaining her breath from the fast-paced trek through the heavily foliaged forest, she quickly stripped herself of her wrinkled clothes and promptly slid into the ice cold water. "Yeek, I forgot to bring herbs (which was used as soap)!" Kagome exclaimed to herself while mentally berating herself for forgetting to bring such basic materials.

Sighing in frustration, Kagome stiffly turned towards the bank of the stream. Her eyes widened by a fraction of an inch when the herbs she required were neatly placed on top of a new, folded kimono. Smiling inwardly, she quickly bathed herself with the newly acquired herbs, the image of her savior engraved deeply within her mind.

After scrubbing herself clean (mindful of her injuries), Kagome quickly donned the new, silk, pink kimono. The edges of the kimono were trimmed with delicate sakura blossoms. "I feel like a princess," Kagome whispered giddily to herself as she spun around in her new article of clothing, which clung perfectly to her curves.

"Apply these herbs to your hands," Youko commanded, causing Kagome to jump slightly at the sudden intrusion. "Turn around," he continued after handing Kagome the crushed herbs. A dark blush quickly swept across Kagome's pale features as her savior, once again, lowered her kimono in order to properly apply the medication.

&&&

"Hey, Sango, I don't think this is a very good idea." a young boy murmured nervously as his sister deftly stomped up the hill where her friend's hut resided. At least, she hoped it was her friend's hut. She had only overheard Kagome mention her hut was located on the hill behind the village, but she had never taken the time to actually pay her friend a visit. "I mean, this is kind of intruding, isn't it?" he added, hoping his elder sister would reconsider her rash actions. "What right do we have to demand…?"

"Kohaku, please, I know what you're saying, but I know something is not right!" Sango hissed angrily as she glared at the brown hut that lay only a few yards before her. "Kagome ALWAYS fetches water before the crack of dawn. She didn't even come through town today!" Sango growled as she clenched her fist. "Doesn't that tell you something?"

"Maybe she's sick," Kohaku suggested.

"I've seen her carrying that bucket of water even through her worst condition." Sango replied. "Also, I KNOW Kagome's family is mistreating her – even though she never mentioned it to me. I'm not blind, no matter how wonderful Kagome's acting might be. She's in pain and she's suffering. Kagome doesn't deserve this."

"But…" Kohaku trailed, still doubtful of his sister's actions.

"Look, I promise I won't do anything rash until I have proof that Kagome is being tortured, okay?" Sango finally relented with a deep sigh, earning an approving nod from her younger brother. "Come on, let's go."

"Okay," Kohaku agreed as he jogged to stay in synch with his sister's long strides. "But, what ARE you going to do IF Kagome is being tortured?" he murmured, giving his elder sibling a curious gaze. "I mean, they're not youkais…I think. We can't kill them and I'll bet my life that they wouldn't just hand Kagome over to us."

"I'll beat the crap out of them…all of them." Sango replied in an obvious tone. "What do you think I'll do? Stand off to one side and cheer them on?" Sango huffed as she hurried up the rest of the road uphill. Stopping before the hut, Sango contemplated if she should just barge in…

Kohaku efficiently ended his sister's problem by softly rapping his knuckles across the straw door. "Hello?" Kohaku asked in a meek voice as he gave a few more knocks.

"Damn it, step aside." Sango growled, gently shoving her younger sibling to one side. Kohaku quickly covered his ears and slammed his eyes shut as Sango prepared to kick the door down. However, before she could complete her action, the door swung open to reveal a scowling Maya, who had yet to apply her make-up.

Kohaku grunted slightly as Sango clung to him for support when she had lost her footing. "What do you want," Maya demanded as she glanced at Sango and Kohaku's outfit, "demon slayers?"

"Where's Kagome?" Sango asked harshly, cutting straight to the point. Maya scrunched her nose up in disgust at the mention of her younger sister before glaring disdainfully at the pair of siblings before her.

"What's it to you?" Maya sneered as she crossed her arms across her chest. Kohaku quickly cleared his voice with a loud cough when Sango's face took on a dark shade of red (and it wasn't from embarrassment).

"We recently learned that Kagome hadn't been seen in the village. Some villagers are worried for her." Kohaku lied. "_Well, not completely a lie._" Kohaku assured himself. "_We're worried about her…and we're villagers._"

"That lazy bitch is just slacking off somewhere." Maya replied. "Probably fell asleep in the forest." she added nonchalantly before attempting to slam the door shut in the demon exterminator's face. Maya blinked her eyes in confusion when the door wouldn't close properly. "What?" Maya murmured, before she noticed the foot that was successfully deterring her from slamming the door shut.

"Why was she at the forest?" Sango hissed, a dangerous glint entering her usually warm, chocolate brown eyes. Kohaku gulped as he took a cautious step away from his sister, all to clear of his sibling's temperamental temper.

"We were short of wood," Maya snapped as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Now leave, our home does not welcome you or that little brat behind you." Maya concluded as she glared at Kohaku, whose face was marred with a dissatisfied frown.

**Wham.**

"Don't you ever call my brother a brat!" Sango growled, "That right is reserved only for me, you understand?" Maya's brown eye watered with tears as she clutched her bleeding nose (which was probably broken).

"Thanks; that makes me feel so much more appreciated." Kohaku muttered glumly as Maya promptly slammed the door shut with a resounding bang. Sango smiled warmly at her brother and shrugged her shoulders.

"Come on brat, if Kagome is at the forest, she is probably in loads of trouble. I just hope she is all right." Sango whispered as she ran towards their village. "_Maybe if she's lucky, she'll survive until I reach her._"

"Hey, where are you going?" Kohaku cried desperately as he sped after his sister. "The forest is the other way." he muttered, jabbing his finger in the opposite direction that Sango was heading towards.

"I can't go there empty handed," Sango replied as she continued to run. "I need my weapons." Kohaku made a small 'o' with his mouth and mentally berated himself for forgetting he was weaponless. "Then I want you to stay at the village. I'll go find Kagome alone. I can't protect you and help Kagome at the same time."

"No, I'm coming with you. You don't have to protect me; I can take care of myself. Don't forget, I'm a demon exterminator too!" Kohaku wheezed as he felt his legs grow numb. "Anyway, it's way too dangerous for you to go alone. Plus, your friend is my friend and Kagome's really…" he trailed off as both of them skidded to an abrupt stop. He was barely able to halt himself in time to stop from crashing into his elder sibling.

"D-Demon exterminator, help me!" Keiji cried as he and his gang quickly scrambled behind Sango and Kohaku. "The youkai that attacked us yesterday is back! H-He's dangerous!" Keiji cried pitifully.

"I don't remember seeing or hearing about a youkai in the village yesterday." Sango replied icily, hatred dripping off each word. "I don't have time for your pranks right now."

"It's true," a scrawny boy from Keiji's group piped up. "That demon attacked us when we were torturing Kagome yesterday…" Keiji quickly slammed his elbow into his brainless member's gut, successfully silencing him, but not quick enough. Sango narrowed her eyes as she rounded on Keiji, who gulped and took a few large steps backwards.

"I don't see any youkai," Kohaku piped up innocently, before turning his attention to his sister and Keiji. He grimacing slightly (even though he wasn't feeling any pain) as Sango ruthless pounded the living daylights out of Keiji and his lackeys. "Sango-nee-chan is pissed." Kohaku sighed as if it was an everyday occurrence (which might be).

&&&

"Damn that exterminator," Keiji growled, his right hand protectively covering his bruised, right eye. "Who does she think she is? How dare she beat me up like that?" Keiji growled. "I'm the son of this Lord's village!" Keiji yelled, while his lackeys' nodded their heads in unison, hoping to please their leader. "I'm going to have Father show her a lesson or two."

"Yea, go young Lord Keiji!" one of the boys cheered, followed by many more. Keiji puffed out his chest as if he had just accomplished an extremely difficult task. "We'll show that demon exterminator not to walk all over us! But I really want to punch her!"

"Yea," everyone echoed in unison as they turned a corner into a deserted area of the village. Keiji held out a hand for them to stop as he narrowed his eyes while cocking his head slightly to the right.

"Wow, is that a goddess?" muttered one of the boys, eyes wide. They watched in silence as a hazy figure waltzed closer and closer towards them. "She's beautiful…" he trailed, a dreamy grin spreading across his lips.

"It's her!" Keiji growled; realization dawning on him after the "supposed goddess" came closer towards them. "It's that ugly wench…Kag… something." he spat as he cracked his knuckles. "I'm going to pound her," he growled as he traced his bruised eye.

"Then we can sell that kimono of hers, it looks expensive." another added. "I wonder where she got it. Maybe she stole it." he suggested. "Hey, she hasn't even noticed us…hahaha, is she blind?" After a few seconds, his laughter died out when everyone quirked an eyebrow at his odd behavior. He coughed a couple of times before turning to face his boss, like the others, to await orders.

"Get her," Keiji stated, jerking his head in Kagome's direction. Quickly following their leader's command, they soon had Kagome surrounded on all four sides. "Well, well, we meet again." Keiji smirked, sending a shiver down Kagome's spine. "And this time…we'll finish what we have stopped last time. There's no one here to interrupt us today."

"_Damn, I wish I had been paying more attention…_" Kagome thought to herself as she warily eyed the group of boys. "What do you want?" she demanded in what she hoped to be a courageous voice.

"Oh, not much," Keiji replied in a sweet, innocent voice. "Just make your life a living hell, take your clothes, your…virginity, and eventually your life." Keiji snarled in a pleasant voice as he easily shoved Kagome onto the ground. In a matter of seconds, Kagome found herself being pinned beneath Keiji, who began tugging at her kimono. A wave a panic wracked through her body as she struggled underneath her captor.

"Let me go…" Kagome cried. "I'm warning you!"

"Oooh, I'm scared." Keiji taunted, flicking out his tongue across Kagome's lips. A look of pure disgust crossed her face as she buckled harder in an attempt to throw Keiji off of her. "Now that's a good girl," Keiji cooed when Kagome suddenly halted all movements. He slowly leaned in towards her pursed lips when a sudden shock of pain shot through his hand. Looking at his hand, he felt his eyes roll to the back of his head before darkness consumed him.

"Y-you cut off young Lord Keiji's hand!" one of the boys shrieked, pointing an accusing finger at Kagome. Clutching the dagger (which was now red with blood) close to her heart, Kagome shook her head as her eyes remained pinned to the motionless hand that lay on the ground. Keiji's hand…she was doomed…she had done a terrible thing.

Without another word, she tore off towards the village in search of protection. "_W-What did I do?_" Kagome demanded of herself as she slammed her eyes shut for a brief moment. "_I…the hand…I didn't mean too…_" she rambled on with incoherent thoughts, slightly traumatized by the sudden turn of events. "_Youko,_" was her one, clear thought as she neared her friend, the demon exterminator's hut.

A sigh of relief slid passed her lips as her frazzled mind spotted a pair of fuzzy appendages atop a mass of silver locks. "Youko," Kagome whispered in a breathless tone, weary from tearing across the village at an inhuman pace. Ignoring the protests of her legs, Kagome ran towards her savior and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"H-hey!" a gruff voice growled, prying Kagome's arms off his waist. "Damn it wench, you don't go around hugging strangers." he growled, shoving Kagome a good distance away from him.

"_It's not him,_" clicked in her mind as stared at the stranger that resembled her savior. "_No, he's not Youko. He isn't even close. Other than the ear, hair, and eyes…he's nothing like Youko! Youko is sooo much better than him._" Kagome childishly argued in her mind, ignoring that fact that Sango was standing right behind her.

"Kagome," Sango cried in relief as she pulled an unsuspecting Kagome into her embrace, "do you know Inuyasha?" Kagome silently regarded the irritated hanyou before shaking her head. "Then why did you hug him?" Sango asked in a confused voice. Kagome quickly answered with a shrug of her shoulders, hoping Sango wouldn't just leave the topic.

"What's he doing here?" Kagome asked, locking eyes with the hanyou's golden ones. "_Youko's are prettier…_" she trailed off in her mind, before a dark blush crept across her cheeks.

"Are you hurt?!?" Sango gasped when she saw the blood trickling down Kagome's arm. Accompanying Sango's sudden outburst, the reality of the situation at hand slammed into Kagome in full force. Dropping the dagger that was clutched tightly in her hand with a soft clang, Kagome's body shook with uncontrolled fear. Sango bent over to pick up the weaponry, but Kagome quickly snatched it off the ground.

"I-I…" Kagome stuttered, eyes brimming with tears.

"Let's go talk inside," Sango suggested, motioning for Kagome to go in first. "Inuyasha, you come in too. Kohaku and I are the only demon exterminators in this village at the moment, so it's safe. It's not a good idea for villagers to see you; they don't take well to anyone with demon blood or heritage. Don't give me any of your smart remarks, my instincts indicates that you are not evil."

"Keh," Inuyasha snorted as he followed Sango's into the hut. "You're a human, what instincts do you possess?" he mumbled as he stood to one corner of the demon exterminator's hut. Focusing his attention on Kagome's shivering form, he mentally muttered, "_Pathetic._"

"Can I see that dagger?" Sango asked, making a slight indication with her head to the weapon clutched protectively in Kagome's hand. Reluctantly nodding her agreement, she handed her friend her blade. "Where did you get this?" Sango asked with wide eyes after a few minutes of silent inspection. "This is the best dagger I have ever seen in my WHOLE life! I doubt even my father has seen something as rare as this."

&Flashback&

"Don't go anywhere until I come back for you." Youko commanded forcefully, leveling his golden eyes on Kagome. "I expect you to stay out of trouble. I'll be back before the crack of dawn tomorrow." Nodding her head in understanding, Kagome gave her savior an assuring smile. Youko quirked an eyebrow when the smile suddenly flipped into a sour frown.

"B-but…" Kagome stuttered, looking slightly uneasy.

"Don't stutter, it shows weakness," Youko interrupted in a cold tone.

"Every one in the village, except Sango, hates me." whispered Kagome, trying her best to keep the panic from showering in her voice. "My family…sort of…will kill me because I didn't come back yesterday." Wordlessly, Youko tossed a diamond-covered, silver dagger towards Kagome, who clumsily caught the weapon. Blinking her eyes in confusion, she looked to her savior for an answer.

"It's yours now," Youko stated before melting back into the forest. A small smile lingered on Kagome's rosy lips as she clutched the weapon close to her chest. Giggling like a child, she quickly made her way towards the village.

& End Flashback &

"It was given to me," Kagome replied, a pink blush spreading across her cheeks. "Can I have it back now?" Kagome asked, eyeing the weapon that was still tucked safely in Sango's hands. Nodding her head, the exterminator gently placed the dagger back within Kagome's palm.

"So, what happened that got you so scared earlier on?" Sango asked curiously. Inuyasha's ears perked up as he strained to hear the answer as well. "Did a youkai harm you?" Sango asked, fingering her Hirakotsu.

"N-no," Kagome stuttered before averting her eyes. "Sango, why do you hate youkais so much? You don't seem to mind him," she indicated towards the hanyou behind them, "He's a hanyou, isn't he."

"Yes, but he also has ningen blood running through his veins." Sango replied in an obvious tone. "I believe he still has some humanity in him. He has a conscience, unlike those cruel youkai. Inuyasha hasn't killed or hurt anyone in this village yet."

"But Sango, youkai aren't that bad." Kagome whispered, causing Sango's eyes to widen slightly at her friend's firm statement. "I believe some humans are even crueler than youkai…like Keiji. Some youkai are extremely sophisticated and wouldn't kill humans unless they got in their way." Inuyasha made a sound that sounded something akin to 'stupid wench'.

"Kagome, are you feeling all right?" Sango asked, placing her cool hand across Kagome's forehead, checking her friend's temperature. "Wow, where did you get this expensive kimono?" she asked, finally noticing Kagome's elegant attire. Kagome suddenly found the floor extremely interesting as a crimson blush colored her cheeks.

"Keh, woman," spat Inuyasha in an undignified manner. "She asked you were you got your clothes, not if you were raped…"

"I demand the occupants of the room to file out." a voice boomed, which Sango quickly identified as the village Lord's command. A shiver of fear quickly snaked up Kagome's spine as fear for her wrongdoing reentered her innocent, blue eyes. "Out, NOW, or I'll tear down the whole hut."

"Come on; let's go see what the old man wants." Sango snorted, pulling a paralyzed Kagome after her. "Inuyasha you stay in here, they don't take well to youkai or han…Inuyasha?"

"Women are so slow," Inuyasha snorted, standing at the doorway of the hut. Sango looked to be about to protest when Inuyasha promptly exited through the doorway. Sighing in annoyance, Sango exited with a reluctant Kagome in tow.

"What do you want, mi…" Sango greeted in a bored and practiced tone.

"There she is!" one of Keiji's lackeys yelled, interrupting Sango's greeting. "She's the one who chopped off young master Keiji's hand!" Feeling like a deer caught in the headlights, Kagome locked fearful eyes with her Lord's furious ones.

"Bind her," the Lord commanded angrily. Struggling against the rope, Kagome earned herself a hard smack across the face. A red hand print immediately swelled where the guard's calloused hand had made contact with her flesh.

"Milord, the family of the prisoner is here." a servant announced, before the whole Higurashi household was brought before the Lord. Whispers erupted among the spectators, which consisted of nearly the whole village – including the children and elderly.

"Your…daughter has chopped off the hand of my son and I will bring her to justice. What do you have to say about this?" the Lord boomed with barely controlled rage as he glared hatefully at Kagome.

"We have nothing to do with her, milord." Mr. Higurashi announced without hesitation. "You may do whatever you wish with her. She has no ties with this family. Her birth was a mistake."

"Good," the Lord snorted, "burn her." The guards automatically bowed and left to do as they were bid – prepare for the stake. Panic seeped into Kagome's mind as she struggled fruitlessly within her bonds. A look of pure horror crossed Sango's face as the announcement to burn her friend alive on the stake sunk into her mind.

"NO!" two voice shouted in unison, startling the spectators. No one had expected anyone to question their Lord's action.

&&&

TBC


	4. Mystery of the Burn

Disclaimer: I don't own YYH or Inuyasha!

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**Mystery of the Burn**

Many sets of confused eyes turned towards the two voices that had called out, "No." For a brief moment, Kagome ceased her fruitless struggling, stretching and craning her neck backwards towards Sango. The young demon exterminator's hands were fisted, her face bright red, while her whole body shook with barely controlled fury. Slowly, Kagome's eyes traveled from Sango towards the hanyou, who had also spoken on her behalf. While Sango's outburst surprised her, she would never have never imagined, even in her wildest dream, that a stranger would help _her_, a girl nobody wanted or cared for. She was the girl that not even her own family wanted.

"You are all freaking humans as well!" Inuyasha spat, his golden eyes holding unspoken pain and anguish. "Punishing the wench is understandable. Even asking her to cut off her own hands because of her actions is understandable, but killing the defenseless wench in going to far! Where's the honor in that?" he continued, unconsciously drawing unnecessary attention of the villagers to himself. As soon as the hanyou concluded his little rant about honor (not that he ever showed any), everyone turned their weapons towards him, regarding him as a threat to their village and family.

"Housing a demon now?" demanded the village lord while keeping a wary eye on the hanyou, who was beginning to crack his knuckles in a threatening manner. "Demon exterminator Sango, how do you plan to explain this to me?!? Was this commanded by your father? What use is a demon exterminator if you don't exterminate? Or have you betrayed your race and made a pact with youkais?"

"Old man, do you like to hear yourself talk or something?" the hanyou gruffly demanded before extending his claws. "Keh," he snorted loudly as a group of human men rushed towards him, armed with farming utensils and broomsticks. While Inuyasha was preoccupied with warding off the village men, the village women were preparing to burn Kagome alive. Confused with which side she should aid, (on one hand, she agreed with Inuyasha, but on the other hand, it was also her duty to protect the village) Sango failed to notice the loud wailings of her friend.

Bound tightly to a wooden pole, piles of browning hay were placed beneath her feet. Turning pleading eyes towards her parents and siblings, Kagome silently begged them to save her. Maya only shrugged her shoulders and yawned when the village women began to dump oil onto the hay. Kikyou gave her a sad half frown as if she never had her as a sister to begin with. A sad laugh escaped Kagome's lips as she remember, "_They never saw me as their sister and family. I was merely a servant…a slave for them._" Her younger siblings wisely remained silent under strict orders from their mother, who did not wish to become ruined and dishonored because of a daughter whom she never wanted.

"Hey, get the girl!" Inuyasha yelled between slashing through a wooden broom. "Keh, I promise I won't harm your species…at least, this time." the hanyou muttered, causing a sigh of relief to escape the exterminator's lips. Giving the hanyou a thankful nod of her head, she turned to save Kagome, only to find that nobody was there anymore. A terrified expression crossed her face as she hurriedly ran towards where the burning usually took place.

Unfortunately for Inuyasha, the villager men had also caught this exchange of promise. They charged again with renewed vigor, knowing the hanyou wouldn't kill them. Cursing under his breath, Inuyasha pushed off the balls of his feet and landed on one of the huts in a defense position. "_No killing…but I can still rough them up._" he thought to himself as he raised his claws and leaped back into the mob of men.

A burning torch was carefully handed to the village lord, who didn't hesitate, even for a moment, to set the brown hay under Kagome's feet on fire. A scream of pure terror erupted from her lips as she slammed her eyes shut. A tear slipped from the edge of her eyes as she allowed the warm heat to lull her into dreamland. "_I wish I could see him for one last time…_" was her last thought as the flames licked around her body, threatening to consume her whole.

A dark cloud rolled over the horizon, speeding towards the village at an incredible speed, causing the village men and women to drop their arsenals. "Are the gods angry with us?" they whispered among themselves. Upon closer look, they realized it wasn't a cloud at all, but a youkai…and _non-too-happy_ youkai. They weren't sure if they would rather have an angry god or an attacking youkai, because either way, they were ruined! They were all going to die, they realized with horror.

Now it was the villagers turn to scream with terror as the lord and his servants hurriedly slipped back to his fortress, abandoning his people. Inuyasha lifted his head as a soft growl emanated from his chest, but the youkai didn't even spare him a glance. Instead, it bounded right passed him and towards the village square, where the burning stake was located. With one large swipe of its deadly claws, it easily smothered the growing fire. Gently grabbing the unconscious girl by the scruff of her charred kimono with his sharp canines, the youkai turned a sharp glare towards the villagers.

"I demand that you release Kagome this instance, you beast!" Sango growled, slightly out of breath, while groping for her weapon, a life-sized boomerang. Realizing she did not carry her main source of defense, she fluently unsheathed her katana with one, swift motion. The golden eyes of the youkai looked highly annoyed and agitated, appearing to decide if he should destroy the village. A soft cough from the girl in between his canines brought him back to the more important matter at hand.

Giving the exterminator and her village one last, icy glare, he returned to the air with one giant leap. His silver fur gleamed elegantly under the setting sun while his nine, smooth tails flowed behind him like a banner. "Kirara," Sango called as her fire neko transformed into a large, flying youkai. But by the time Kirara reached her, the silver youkai who had Kagome had already disappeared. Dropping to her knees, Sango covered her face, feeling as if she had failed Kagome, whom she had considered as a friend. Maya released a soft gasp before fainting; her eyes rolling to the back of her head. Everyone was positive that Kagome was dead…not that they cared.

The nine-tailed youkai landed gracefully with a loud crash through the forest treetops before carefully depositing his young charge. Closing his eyes, the youkai was immediately surrounded by a silver mist. When the mist finally cleared, the proud kitsune Youko stood where the nine-tailed youkai had previously occupied. Bending down over his charge, he held her wrist in his much-larger hand and checked for a pulse. Youko was both relieved and surprised to find Kagome in perfect condition; her skin had remained unmarred from the fire even though he couldn't say the same for her kimono.

Deciding he could inquire the girl for details on the event that took place when she awoke, he lazily reclined against a tree stump. After a few minutes, Kagome's breathing rate increased, signifying her awakening. Rubbing her blue eyes with the back of her hand, Kagome pushed herself into a sitting position. "Is this really hell?" she choked while wrapping her arms around herself.

"I can assure you, it is not." Youko stated, causing Kagome to freeze in fear. "I promise you that nothing will happen to you when I am with you." he added as he knelt down in front of his charge. Blinking back tears, Kagome suddenly launched herself at Youko, wrapping her arms tightly around his midsection. Unsure of how to react, Youko remained silent, allowing his charge to draw comfort from him (even though he didn't offer any). "What happened? I want the full details." he commanded after a few moments of silence.

Waiting till her hiccups subsided, Kagome began recounting the events that took place in great detail, leaving and exaggerating nothing. "I really didn't mean to cut off Keiji's hand!" she protested softly as she slammed her eyes shut. "Are you mad at me too?" she whispered, dreading Youko's disapproval more than her family's rejection. She wasn't sure why, but she knew she cared more about the kitsune's thoughts than the opinion of her mother and father. Her eyes immediately shot open when she felt a slight rumble in Youko's chest.

"You did well," Youko smoothly complimented, causing a red blush to spread across her cheeks like wildfire. "After your injuries are healed, I will teach you the basic defense." A wide grin broke over Kagome's face as she pulled away from Youko warm body, only to wrap her arms around his neck a few seconds later.

"So you're not mad at me for my actions?" she asked quietly.

"I would have been mad if you did nothing." the kitsune replied as he disentangled Kagome's arms from around his neck. Realizing she had hugged the kitsune without permission, she immediately placed her hands behind her back. "Get some rest." the kitsune stated before leaping onto a wide tree branch. He remained as indifferent as before; seemingly uncaring…but Kagome didn't care. After all, he saved her, didn't he?

Youko easily scanned the area for any roaming youkai before pondering some of the questions that had not received an answer. "_How was she not affected by the raging fire? From what she had explained, she fainted as soon as the fire was lit. After that, she wasn't sure what had happened. Maybe she isn't that ordinary after all…_"

Early next morning, the odd duo set off through the forest after bathing and eating (Youko didn't eat though). The wiser of the youkais stayed far away from them, but the weaker ones decided that any youkai caring for a human was weak as well, lost their lives to the claws of the annoyed silver kitsune. By the time they reached the end of the forest, both Kagome and Youko were coated with blood, none of which belonged to them. At first, Kagome had been terrified at the sight of so much gore and blood, but as youkai after youkai fell before Youko, blood soon became a common sight to her.

"196," Kagome counted on her fingers as the kitsune easily slashed through another youkai, ripping out the heart and the internal organs. Stepping on the flesh and organs of the youkai, which caused squishing sounds, Kagome quickly ran after Youko, who was heading towards a nearby village that she had never heard of – a _youkai_ village.

As soon as the duo set foot at the entrance of the refined-looking village, a horde of various youkai crowded around to get a glimpse of Youko, a highly feared youkai in the world. "Ah, Youko-sama, what pleasure do we owe for you to grace our humble, insignificant village?" an elderly youkai asked, bowing to the silver kitsune in respect.

"Prepare two warm baths," Youko coldly commanded, causing the elderly youkai to drop to his knees in fear. The youkai repeated yes over and over again, causing a small giggle to emanate from the human behind Youko. Her giggling immediately drew everyone's attention to her, which would still have been unavoidable, even if she had remained silent. Biting her lips to keep from laughing, she hoped she wouldn't offend any of the youkai any more than she already did. "Now," Youko growled dangerously when several youkai began to lick their lips in anticipation at the sight of Kagome.

"Youko-sama, who is this filthy human," inquired a young, female, black kitsune. She bowed slightly before the silver kitsune before pining Kagome with an icy glare. "Will it please you if I…" she trailed off as she flexed her perfectly manicured claws. A frown marred Kagome's face, but she did not emanate any fear, knowing that Youko would not allow anyone to harm her.

"No harm will come to this human," Youko firmly stated, "or the consequences will be harsh." The black kitsune dropped her clawed hand and bowed in reverence. "I do not wish to stand here all night." Almost immediately, the village was in an uproar as the village elder directed the youkai villagers to prepare the hot baths the silver kitsune had 'requested'.

Within moments, Kagome found herself ushered into an empty hut by a two youkai women. "Human, I believe you can clean yourself." one of the youkai snorted while tossing a rag towards her. The rag landed smack against Kagome's face, causing her to retaliate backwards by the force. Harsh, cruel laughter emanated from the two women at Kagome's expense.

"I don't see why Youko-sama would bother with a human," one of the youkai women snorted. "She'd probably be killed once he gets bored of her." she added as an afterthought, earning an agreeing nod from her best friend.

"He won't," Kagome argued, surprising the youkai women. Neither of them had believed the human would have had the nerve _to_ speak to them, much less _against_ them. "Youko-sama would never do that to me." she murmured, trying to allay her own fear more than arguing with the female youkais. "_He promised he'd protect me as long as I'm with him._" she silently reminded herself.

"Ami, I think the human's delusional! She thinks that Youko-sama would care for _her!_" the youkai's laughter rang loudly in Kagome's ear. The fire mark above her shoulder blade throbbed. More laughter echoed through the hut…The mark throbbed again, only quicker and faster. "Stupid girl, Youko-sama could and would never care for the likes of you. If anything, either one of us, or the village elder's daughter, Rose, will become Youko-sama's rightful mate. You don't stand a chance! Youko-sama would never degrade himself to caring for a human!"

"I agree, Kesi." Ami laughed, covering her lips with her clawed fingers. "After all, Rose is a powerful and beautiful kitsune woman! Youko-sama has always treated her better than all the other females…if I had heard correctly; I believe she's still a virgin after spending the night with him! It shows how much Youko-sama respect Rose if he hadn't done anything to her. He's probably going to leave her as a virgin until he rightfully claims her as his mate, which most of the village believes will take place in the near future."

It was beginning to throb almost painfully now, but no attention was paid to her burning mark…

"Or Youko-sama might choose one of us as his mate. Who knows? It could easily be me or you! We had both spent countless nights with him! Did you know that Youko-sama is as great in bed, if not better than when he is on the battle field?" taunted Kesi as she folded her arms across her chest. "Even now, I can still remember his touch…"

"Don't start Kesi," Ami sighed blissfully as a smile graced her lips. Involuntarily, Ami placed her clawed hand protectively over her stomach, which bulging slightly. "Maybe Youko-sama will be here for a period of time," she murmured.

"Even better, he might take us with him this time. I'm sure Youko-sama wouldn't mind having more mistresses." giggled Kesi.

"How many mistresses does he have?" Ami asked curiously.

"About ten so far, so if he accepts us, it'll be twelve." Kesi answered giddily. "That would be so nice!"

Quickly wrapping a towel around her wet body, Kagome easily unsheathed her dagger, which had gone unnoticed by the youkai women. Without thinking, she flung the double-edged dagger at one of the youkai women. Kesi was barely able to dodge the dagger at the last moment, but Ami wasn't as fortunate. The dagger had deeply grazed her left cheek, leaving a glistening trail of blood in its wake. The dagger stopped its trail when it was embedded into the side of the hut. Almost immediately, Ami clasped her hand over her cheek.

Bringing her hand down, she noticed the deep red liquid. Time seemed to still as the youkai realized what had taken place. The throbbing above Kagome's shoulder stopped as Kagome stumbled backwards. Staring at the dagger's sheath in her hands, a horrified expression crossed her face. She shook her head from side to side as if in denial. "_Youko-sama's going to be really angry with me,_" she thought to herself as she dropped the sheath with a loud clang.

"How dare you!" Ami screeched in pain as she lengthened her claws. "You will die for this!" she hissed under her breath as she charged with blind fury...

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TBC

Read and Review! ;)


	5. Nightmarish Doubts

Disclaimer: I don't own YYH or Inuyasha!

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**Nightmarish Doubts**

"I…I didn't mean to!" Kagome protested as she stumbled backwards. Ami's carefully manicured claws missed her face by mere inches; bringing a startled yelp from Kagome. "Leave me alone! I'm sorry! It won't happen again!" she cried as Ami's eyes flashed a crimson hue. "It was an accident! What do you want me to do? I apologized already!"

"Human," Ami snarled as her friend joined her side.

"You wear our patience." Kesi finished while flexing her claws. "Our blood calls for your blood. Our claw calls for your flesh. The metallic taste of your blood will be sweet on my lips." A delighted smile rested on the duo's rosy, thin lips.

"You drink blood?" Kagome asked in disbelief. "That is gross!" she added in a disgusted tone. "How can you just drink someone's blood and think it tastes good? You're nothing but beasts!"

"You dare call us beasts?" Ami sneered.

"If you have forgotten so quickly, YOU are the one who is dying. It's YOUR blood that we will find sweet. Youkai of high class, like us, would usually not lower ourselves to drinking human blood." Kesi explained with an air of arrogance and pride. "We're making an exception for you. You should feel honored."

"You two are insane!" Kagome protested as her fearful eyes darted frantically around the room, searching for an escape route.

"We've wasted enough time with you, human." they announced in unison as a predatory look entered their blood-red eyes.

H-Help!" Kagome squeaked, her voice suddenly dry. "_Where's my voice when I need it?_"

"Save your breath. Youko-sama would never bother saving a worthless human, like you." Ami snarled, her lips curling back, revealing razor-sharp fangs. "Did you really think you ever stood a chance? Did you think, somehow in that stupid mind of yours, that Youko-sama would really care for you? If you did, then you are truly idiotic."

"Ah, uh, uh," Kesi interrupted with a malicious grin. "You're forgetting she's a human."

"Yes, you're right. Stupidity is what humans are known for." Ami full-heatedly agreed. "We're doing this world a favor by diminishing your parasitic race. Your race is worth less than the scum on my shoe. Have you ever smelled the human stench? If not, trying sniffing yourself for once. You reek of death and manure. This is only one of thousand of reasons for human inferiority."

"This is enough," a cold voice interrupted Kesi, who had just opened her mouth to continue to her best friend's philosophy about disgusting humans. A gush of cold wind filtered into the room as the thick flap of animal skin was pushed aside by a young, village youkai. Relief flooded through Kagome's system when she spotted Youko, who was preceded by several youkai guards.

However, her relief was short lived when she took into account the silver kitsune's countenance. "Kagome," That single word alone sent a shiver of fear running down every occupant's spine. Youko was definitely not pleased.

"Y-Yes?" squeaked Kagome, keeping her eyes idly trained on the ground, purposely avoiding the kitsune's piercing gaze. She knew she had caused Youko unnecessary trouble, which he would more than likely punish her for. "I-I'm sorry. It was my fault. I shouldn't have done what I done and said what I said." she admitted after gathering what little courage she had left.

"I did not ask for you to speak." Youko interjected. Kagome immediately clamped her mouth closed. As the silence ticked on without as much as a single display of emotion from Youko (not even anger), Kagome began to fidget. She subconsciously willed herself to shrink from existence, hoping to save herself from further embarrassment. Much to her disappointment, it didn't work. She was still there, in the room, waiting for Youko's impending judgment. "Bound those two," Youko finally broke the silence, his golden eyes trained on the two female youkai.

"Youko-sama, it was the girl's fault!" Ami immediately accused as her arms were twisted into an unnatural angle behind her. "Kesi and I did nothing wrong! If you don't believe me, just look! Look, she even wounded me!" she frantically added as her hands were tightly bound by thick, gnarled ropes. "If that human had not wounded or lorded over me with her position as your companion, I would not have attacked her! If it was not to uphold my honor, I would never taint my claws with her disgusting human blood!"

"She will be punished accordingly, but so will you two, for disobeying a direct order. I placed her safety in your hands and you failed to protect her from yourselves." Youko replied with a bored look firmly etched in his blemish-free face. "Kagome," he beckoned, his attention switching from the two youkai women to his charge. Kagome took a tentative step toward the emotionless kitsune after what seemed like an eternity of hesitation. Several thoughts and uncertain questions raced through her mind within the brief lapse of hesitation - the most prominent one being: Will he make me go back to my village? Each step she took towards him felt like walking on egg shells – the closer she got to her destination, the thinner the shell.

When she was finally standing directly before Youko, a sudden flare of jaki sent her crumbling to her knees. A quick glance around the room assured Kagome that she was not imagining the change of atmosphere. Though being the only human, she was affected the most. "Ugh," Kagome groaned as she clutched her pounding heart. She curled into a small ball as she tried to ward off the suffocating jaki surrounding her small frame. "_I…I can't breath._" she realized after attempting to calm her heart by taking a few, large gulps of air. A look of helplessness entered her eyes as she drifted in and out of consciousness. "_Am I really going to die? Is Youko-sama finally fed up with an annoying girl like me? If he really does not want me with him anymore, then death might be a blessing for me._"

"Never challenge a youkai or assume you are superior to them." Youko's voice slashed through her clouded mind. "The next time this happens, the consequences will be severe." he warned without the slightest hint of emotion. "Get up; you'll survive through this small punishment." As soon as he finished his short lecture, the suffocating jaki dispersed, allowing her to fill her deprived lungs with oxygen. Kagome weakly picked herself off the ground before a wave of dizziness attacked her, causing the room to spin in nonstop circles.

She leaned heavily against the hut's wall for support as she tried to regain her bearings. Her attempt to stay in the conscious world failed when the edges of her eyes began to cloud with dark spots. The last thing she witnessed was Youko barking orders to the lesser youkais within the small confines of the hut. "_I'm sorry for being so weak. I wish I wasn't human._" she silently cried before embracing the darkness.

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_I softly padded down the never-ending twists of roads. My eyes trained on the object of my obsession, the one demon that saved me from the pain my own family inflicted on me – family who shares my blood. If my destiny was to suffer at the hands of my family, then spend the remainder of my life near him, it would be worth it. _

_I panicked slightly when he picked up pace, leaving a trail of dust in his wake as he disappeared from my line of vision and into the thick foliage of the forest. "Please, stop, wait for me!" I desperately cried, but he paid me no heed. He was gone…not even a backward glance. I dropped to my knees and willed my fresh tears, which began to form near the edges of my eyes, to go away. _

_ "Why did you save me, only to leave me?" I whispered, grabbing a fistful of dirt. "Why didn't you just let me die? Why? Why save me, only to discard me later? Is it because I'm a human?" _

_ When I finally lifted my head, I noticed the blue sky had turned crimson red. I was slightly startled when the forest surrounding me erupted into flames. The road beneath me disappeared, only to be replaced by a stream of molten lava a split second later. What's going on? Why is this happening? What does it mean? But does it really matter what happens anymore?_

_This place is warm. No, hot, almost to the degree of burning_._ I watched through half-lidded eyes as my surrounding crumbled into heaps of ashes. The destruction and desolation that followed…brought a wry grin to my lips. The fire…the burning sensation…the pain…the destruction…I embraced it. _

_ After all, what is there to lose? What can one lose when they had nothing to begin with? Rich men guard their homes for fear of being robbed, but poor men do not for there is nothing to lose. The same application falls on me…what is there to lose, when I have never gained to begin with? All I have is my life, which has no worth…Nothing matters, he left me. He didn't care for me anymore. Did he EVER care for me? That question struck a nerve and the fire around me blazed wildly into life. _

_ Reality struck me hard as I realized…he had never cared. _

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"Ow," Kagome grumbled as she gingerly rubbed the purple bruise that was beginning to form on her forehead from accidentally ramming her head into the wall. She panted slightly as she attempted to cool her overheated body. Her kimono clung to her body as large beads of sweat rolled down her brow like a waterfall. When quiet footfalls reached her ears, her eyes immediately darted around the room, trying to catch a glimpse of the intruder.

"I'm glad you are awake." a female kitsune kindly smiled as she walked closer towards the human girl. "From the looks of it, I guess you just had a nightmare, right?" Kagome dumbly nodded as she regarded the beautiful and regal kitsune before her. "How rude of me, I haven't even introduced myself yet. My name is Rose; I am the daughter of this village's elder. It is a pleasure to meet you."

"Uh…" Kagome paused, unsure of how to address the kitsune before her. Her uncertainty ended when Youko's warning, "_Never challenge a youkai or assume you are superior to them,_" resounded loudly in her mind. "It's an honor to meet you, m-milady." Kagome chocked over her words. A dark flush crossed her cheeks when the kitsune giggled heartily.

"There is no need to address me so formally," she managed to utter between her laughing, "Especially from one who is under the care and protection of Youko-sama. This fact alone elevates your position above many youkai in this village."

"I am only human," Kagome reminded while averting her gaze. "_Youko-sama would be furious if he found ever found out that I disrespected a youkai, especially his future mate._"

"That is true," Rose mused, "but the lesser youkai are still beneath you, because of Youko-sama's status and your obvious connection to Youko-sama. Of course, if you were a youkai, then all the youkai will be under your command. Anyway, let's not discuss such a menial subject. What I really want to know is why Youko-sama, who had never shown any interest in humans before, would suddenly care for one."

"I-I don't know." Kagome truthfully answered. "Where is Youko-sama now?" she suddenly blurted, causing Rose to blink rapidly in confusion. "Sorry."

"Oh, Youko-sama just left a while ago. I think he took the trail into the forest." the kitsune answered, a thoughtful look entering her sea-green eyes. "Of course, he didn't go alone. Not that he's incapable of defending himself." Rose murmured to herself.

"_He left me. He wouldn't stop for me. He left me in the forest. The sky turned crimson, the forest was ablaze, and the ground became molten lava. I was all alone. No one wanted me…Youko-sama had never cared for me…he had left._" the nightmare she had just a while ago repeated itself over and over again in Kagome's mind, nearly driving her insane with the repeated images of rejection and pain.

"Hey, are you okay?" Rose asked while gently shaking Kagome's shoulders. The kitsune stumbled backwards at the icy glare that was thrown at her. Kagome's lips were quivering as she sprinted out of the hut and towards the expense of wilderness lying on the other side of the youkai village. She ran…away from the youkai village, away from her nightmare, and away from Youko. Unbeknownst to her, the flame mark above her shoulder blade blazed to life, sending a surge of unidentified energy into her body.

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"Not to question your decisions or anything, Youko-sama," a hawk youkai began as he soared above the forest, "but why do you keep that annoying, human pest with you? She can't be worth your precious time. After all, I believe Rose would make a much better mate…beauty, integrity, and power wise. Not that I'm saying you're making a bad choice…just not the BEST choice."

"You assume too much when you know so little," Youko coldly replied, keeping his eyes on his game.

"But…"

"Quit making so much noise. You'll alert my position."

"Sorry Youko-sama! Not that, that low-life beast can escape your speed and power!" the hawk youkai replied with sugar-coated flattery. "Not that I see why…" the youkai's sentence was cut short when he felt an onslaught of pain in his chest.

"Insolent," Youko whispered with his eyes still trained on his prey.

"Why?" the hawk gasped as his eyes traveled from the vine spearing his heart to the cold and merciless kitsune, who was still not paying him any attention, even in his last moments.

"You irritate me with you mundane chatter." Youko simply replied before pursuing his game and restarting his hunt.

"You…" the hawk whispered before pummeling towards the ground head first. Blood and guts splattered across the forest floor as soon as his body made compact with the solid ground. There was no cushioned landing…

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The youkai males who had followed Youko on the hunt became extremely jumpy and paranoid after learning of the fatal incident their fellow companion had the misfortune of encountering. Though the youkais were eager to talk to one another, not one dared to speak, much less discuss the topic. Everyone kept their mouths tightly clamped shut unless they were spoken to first.

Eagerness flooded all the youkai when their village came into view. Most of the youkai hurried back to their individual huts to tell the events of their hunt to their families as soon as they were dismissed. Only a select few were chosen to remain as guards for Youko (not that he needed any). After cleansing off the blood from the hunt in a hot spring, Youko commanded Ami and Kesi to be released from their punishment.

It was well past midnight before Youko ventured to Rose's hut to check on his charge. "Where is she?" he demanded, a cold glint in his voice after he quickly scanned the room for her presence. Rose bit her lips and shook her head from side to side.

"I-I don't know." she lamely replied. "She suddenly ran off into the wilderness not long after you left to go hunting. I was too shocked to follow at first, but when I regained my bearings to follow, I could not find her. I hadn't suspected a human could run so fast."

"Why did you not follow her scent?" Youko nearly growled, causing Rose to drop to her knees.

"I really tried to! Honest!" she cried, keeping her eyes trained on the ground. "I found it easily enough at first…but her scent just abruptly ended a little ways from the village." she continued. "Though, I did discover another scent where Kagome's scent left off. I fear that…"

Rose lifted her head when she heard the flap of the skin covering the entrance of her hut being angrily shoved aside. When she tried to look for the male kitsune, he was no longer there. The hut was empty and dead silent, save for her labored breathing. "He really does care for her, doesn't he? What lengths will he go to find her? What will he do if she really is gone?"

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TBC

Hope it wasn't too bad… ;)


	6. Deadly Maiden

Disclaimer: I don't own YYH or Inuyasha!

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**Deadly Maiden**

Three days. He had been searching for three whole days. He could not understand why he had not given up yet. After all, a lone human girl would no doubt die in a wilderness infested with youkai. So why was he still searching? The answer eluded him. He knew, without hesitation, that he did not actually care about the girl's well-being. She could very well be dead or alive. It was the same to him.

Yes, that's what he had been trying to tell himself for the past three days. He had reminded himself countless times that the only reason he had not killed her yet was because of the promise he had made. However, somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew it was a lie.

His never-ending thoughts and arguments were severed when he felt the air surrounding him cackle with a familiar, but powerful jaki. "Yomi," he whispered as the youkai materialized in front of him from seemingly out of nowhere. "What are you doing here?" he coldly asked, narrowing his golden eyes by a fraction.

"Youko-sama," Yomi began while slowly pulling out a crumbled, blood-stained letter from within the folds of his clothes, "this is from Kuronue. He was attacked yesterday night and he returned in the worse of conditions. It is his wish that you read this letter and quickly return back to our territory."

"How is he now?" the kitsune asked monotonously, feigning indifference, while accepting the letter that Yomi was offering him.

"He's healing quickly, but a youkai that can injure him so severely is surely not one to be taken lightly." Yomi replied. "Kuronue worries a great deal for your safety, Youko-sama." he added as an afterthought.

"You may leave." At Youko's obvious dismissal, Yomi gave curt nod before melting back into the surrounding forest. When he was positive Yomi was out of seeing range, Youko hastily tore open the letter and scanned the contents. He was slightly dismayed to find several droplets of Kuronue's blood littered across the parchment. Finding his interest piqued, he quickly read the letter.

_Dear Youko,_

_Where have you been? You sly fox, leaving without a word! I can't believe I actually believed you when you said you were going to visit your dear, old, dying mother. Yes, yes, I don't want to hear your lame excuses. Even an idiot knows that it doesn't take THAT long to visit anyone. So where did you get the idea you could fool me – the genius? I guess you could say you and you mother had a lot of catching up to do, but then, you were never particularly fond of her, to say the least. _

_Anyway, being the good friend that I am, I worried for your safety, though I knew it was unnecessary. I patiently waited and waited for your return. As time drew on, I became fed up with your lack of presence. So, I finally decided to go look for your sorry hide. I left in the morning that day, intent on locating you within two days at the most. I was going to drag you back kicking and screaming if I head to! But, that night, my goal was ruined. _

_Under the moonlit sky, I saw something burn an unnatural red. I became really curious and decided to take a quick look. After all, I had reasoned, what harm could it have done to me? What I saw was something most unexpected. There, a girl, who looked neither human nor youkai, sat weeping in a broken-hearted manner. Her whole body seemed to be aflame, yet it did not harm her. _

_As I moved closer to her to examine this strange occurrence, she turned her blood-red eyes towards me. She whispered something I could not understand. Before I knew it, I was lost within her gaze, which held a powerful trance. I struggled against the unknown power for how long I wasn't sure…but when I was finally free, I realized that the ground I stood on was shaking in a most unwelcoming manner. _

_It shook for a good five minutes before it cracked! Flames erupted from the earth and shot skyward. Immediately, my wings caught on fire. It was at that moment, the girl decided to scream a whole lot of nonsense, causing the fire to burn with a passion. While I was scorched within the heat, she seemed to embrace the warmth._

_That night, I fled for the first time in hundreds of years. That girl was as dangerous as any potential youkai. The sadness that first radiated from her calls for sympathy and understanding, but once you have fallen for that…her sadness ebbs into indescribable hatred. _

_I write to you, my friend, to warn you of her. Do not take her lightly. There is not much that is known of her. I do not know the limits of her power, nor do I know what her intentions are. I apologize for not telling you this in person, seeing as I'm being hounded by the palace healer. Even as I write, she is looking over my shoulders…guess what? She had just threatened to skin me alive!_

_Ha, I can't even move a muscle without her screaming. Honestly, I'm fine now. I'll be walking and jumping again by tomorrow morning. Though I believe I won't be flying until the day after tomorrow. Such a pity too, since I prefer flying over walking on land. As you have probably already guessed by now, the real reason I wrote this letter and asked Yomi to take this to you was to ask you to return NOW. It's just so boring without you, you know?_

- _Kuronue_

"This is definitely from Kuronue." Youko mused aloud. "No one, but him, would dare to speak to me in such an obnoxious manner."

After a few seconds of silent contemplation, he came to an unspoken conclusion. Schooling his face back into an emotionless façade, he crumbled the letter in his hands before venturing west. He figured since Kuronue was fine, he could always visit him at a later time. Hopefully, Kuronue would not be too furious about his deliberate journey to the west.

Either way, he was not returning for an honorable and noble cause. Yes, but who was going to believe that he, Youko Kurama, would be traveling to search for a wretched girl who could not obey the simplest of orders?

&&&

"…stupid, good-for-nothing…" Inuyasha grumbled under his breath as he raced through the forest floor towards the western domain. "Who does he think he is? It's like Inuyasha come here! Inuyasha go there! Inuyasha do this! Inuyasha do that! What do I look like?!? His servant?!?" he growled. "Sometimes he really pisses me off with his better than you look!"

So lost within his malicious thoughts, he barely had time to avoid colliding with a young, female human, who was unfortunate enough to cross paths with the irritated hanyou. "Hey, watch we're your walking wench! I could have impaled you! Don't you care about your stinking life? Stupid, be more careful!" Inuyasha yelled, his mood turning for the worst with each passing minute. "Hey, are you deaf?!? I'm talking to you!!!" he screamed at the young girl, who had her head bowed the whole time. "LOOK AT ME WHEN I'M TALKING, WILL YA?!?"

The girl complied by tilting her head upward. Inuyasha stuttered in surprise when he realized that a stream of tears was coursing down the girl's cheeks. "H-Hey, w-what are y-you crying for? Just don't do it again, okay?" he asked, softening his voice. Truly, he hated seeing women cry. He could face countless demons and beat the crap out of each one, but when a girl cried, he was truly at a loss.

"Inuyasha, can you stop moving your mouth for a moment?" she asked. Inuyasha's jaw literally dropped open as the girl closed the distance between them and wrapped her arms around his waist. He stiffened when the girl buried her face into his chest and began to sob, soaking his fire-rat kimono with her tears.

"W-Whoa, hold just a damn second!" he yelled, grabbing the girl's arms. "How'd you know my name? Plus, you don't just go around hugging and snuggling a stranger! What were you thinking, idiot?!? If I wasn't in a good mood (sort of), I'd rip off your head!"

"You resemble him." she replied, causing Inuyasha to crease his forehead in confusion. "You look like him." she explained, causing Inuyasha to become even more puzzled. "He's cold and uncaring, but I miss him so much. I don't think he likes the human species, that's why I ran away. But now, I wish I hadn't. When I came back to my sense, I couldn't find my way back to him!" she softly wailed.

"WHAT?!?" Inuyasha yelled in horror, his eyes the size of saucers. "How did you ever manage to fall in love with that icicle? Keh, he'd kill you first before he'd even think about considering your love."

"You know him?" she asked in a hopeful voice.

"Yeah," Inuyasha growled, narrowing his eyes. "He's my older, egotistical half-brother!"

"Really?" she asked hopefully. "Take me to him, please!" she begged.

"Are you crazy?"

"I don't care, please?"

"He'll kill you!"

"He's protected me for the last few months!"

"WHAT?" he shouted with disbelief. He touched the girl's forehead before asking, "Are you delusional? He's a cold-blooded killer!"

"Don't talk about him that way!" the girl yelled, harshly shoving the hanyou away. Inuyasha twitched at the girl's sudden change of attitude and personality. He couldn't help but silently wonder where the sweet, gentle girl he had just been conversing with went. His ears flattened against his skull as she continued to yell at him in a more than angry tone. "I'll find a way to kill you if you do. I'm eternally grateful that you tried to save me from my village, who was as going to burn me alive, but I will not stand by and allow you to bad-mouth my lord." she finished, fisting her small hands. "Do you hear me?!?"

"What do you _think_? You've only been screaming for the last hour! Yeesh, anyway, I thought you looked familiar!" Inuyasha shouted. "What was your name again? Kagoni?"

"Kagome."

"Look, I'm sorry I couldn't save you from the silver fur ball, but I'm not going to allow you (no matter how crazy and stupid you are) to walk to your death by asking me to bring you to him!"

"Don't insult him!"

"I didn't!"

"You just did!"

"Did not…and you really love him, don't you?"

"Yes…please, please, help me find him!"

"Trust me; he'll kill you without a second thought!"

"HE WILL NOT!"

"HE WILL TO!"

"WILL NOT!"

"WILL TOO!"

"WILL NOT!"

"Why am I even talking to you?" Kagome asked, brushing past him. "I'll find him myself (anyway, I think I like getting lost too!)."

Inuyasha closed his eyes in aggravation before yelling, "It's unsafe for a human to be wandering this forest! I'll drop you off at the next…" he trailed off when he noticed Kagome was already gone, "village." he finished. "Damn," he hissed before rolling his eyes. "Why do I even bother?" he growled before turning off course to look for the missing girl.

&&&

"WILL TOO!"

"WILL NOT!"

Youko halted as two arguing voices drifted to his sensitive ears. One of the two voices, the feminine one, sounded oddly familiar. Deciding to investigate, he moved towards the direction of the noise. Before he had moved more than a few yards, a familiar girl bolted past him.

"Kagome," he coldly called, stopping the girl in her tracks. The next second, before he even had the time to comprehend what was happening, he found that said girl had latched on to him like a leech.

"I'm sorry I left without saying anything!" she began. "I had this really, really scary nightmare so I ran away! When I was thinking clearly again, I was lost. I couldn't find my way back." she softly rambled.

Youko wasn't sure if he was going to sigh in relief or roll his eyes at the girl's stupidity. He settled for neither as he looked impassively at his crying charge. "Let's go, you've already taken several days off my original course."

"You mean you came here to…look for me?" Kagome whispered, startled. Youko did not give Kagome the pleasure of his reply. Instead, he scooped her into his arms and leapt into the air. Instinctively, Kagome wrapped her arms around his neck as they gracefully soared across the sky at a break-neck speed.

She could not understand why they were traveling by air, but she was not about to complain about her fortune. She gently laid her head against Youko's chest and closed her eyes. She was ecstatic to be in the kitsune's arms again, but she could not help but secretly wished that it happened more often.

&&&

After searching the entire forest for the girl, with no luck, Inuyasha grudgingly returned to his original destination…the road to the western palace. To say he did not want to go was an understatement, seeing as he kept trying to come up with excuses to not go. For instance, he would stop to drink water and rest every ten minutes. In addition, he took every opportunity to help the humans he met that requested for his aid (which would probably shock any one who knew him to death). Then, Inuyasha took it a step further by willingly volunteering to help the "unfortunate" humans who did NOT want nor need his help.

Though a part of him did not want to go to the western palace, which was his home, another part of him did. While he disliked his older, half-brother with an indescribable passion, he did want to see his father and mother. Much to his chagrin, he realized he could not even remember what his parents looked like.

But still, there was always the obstacle of his icicle-like brother (half-brother). Though his half-brother had never physically abused him (much), his very presence taunted him. After all, his half-brother was everything he was not. His half-brother was powerful, the first-born…and a full-blooded youkai, something that he had always desired to be.

Before he knew it, he had arrived at the front gates of the palace. Not long after, he found himself being led into the palace by the guards. He held his breath as the guards announced his arrival. Almost immediately, he found himself in his mother, Izayoi's, embrace. His face turned beet-red when his father and half-brother walked in on his reunion with his mother. He quickly pushed away from his mother, earning a knowing smile from his parents.

"What took you so long, Inuyasha?" his father, Inutaisho, boomed.

"Got side-tracked by this human girl…" Inuyasha answered before he had even realized he was replying to his father's question.

"Oh, really?" asked Izayoi. "Bring her with you next time; I want to see if she is suitable for my little boy." Inuyasha's faced burned a bright red at his mother's quick assumptions.

"K-Keh, I barely know her!" he growled. "Anyway, she's totally infatuated with Sesshoumaru." he added, turning his attention to his half-brother. Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow and looked at his younger half-brother as if he was demented. Inuyasha could not help but smirk.

"Explain yourself, half-breed." ordered Sesshoumaru, causing Izayoi to wince at the degrading title. Inutaisho growled a warning to his elder son, but Sesshoumaru did not pay his father any attention. Inuyasha bristled at being called a half-breed, but wisely did not reply.

"She was crying on and on about how she couldn't find her way back to you. She said you had protected her for the last few months and that kind of lovey-dovey crap." Inuyasha taunted. "When I said you were a cold-blooded murder (which you are), she nearly bit my head off defending you! She even threatened (as weak as it was) to kill me if I bad-mouthed you ever again!"

"Do you want to talk, Sesshoumaru?" asked Inutaisho, inclining his head towards the palace library. "It's about time you found a mate."

"She must be a really sweet girl if she was able to worm into your heart." Izayoi smiled, happy that her step-son found a girl worthy of his attention. "Inuyasha, now you MUST introduce me to her. Wait, no, Sesshoumaru has to introduce her to me and Inutaisho!"

The whole time Izayoi and Inutaisho were talking about a new addition to their family, Sesshoumaru had schooled his face into a cold, blank expression (which covered his unspoken confusion). "This Sesshoumaru hates and will always hate all humans." he snarled, throwing a disdainful glare towards Izayoi. "Hanyou, do not go around spreading rumors that are untrue…or you won't live to see tomorrow's sun."

"Sesshoumaru!" admonished Inutaisho, but Sesshoumaru had already returned to his chambers.

"It's all right, dear." Izayoi softly replied, placing a comforting hand on her mate's arm. "It's all right."

"Anyway, why did that b…why did Sesshoumaru send me a message ordering me to come back here immediately?" asked Inuyasha, scanning the interior of the palace he had lived in when he was a pup. Nothing much had changed, he noticed. It was as if time had stopped just for him…

"We were worried for your safety." Izayoi whispered, snapping Inuyasha out of one of his rare musings.

"Keh," Inuyasha snorted. "I'm fine…and I doubt Sesshoumaru was worried for MY safety."

"Either way, a strange rumor has been spreading that an unidentified, fire-controlling being has been slaughtering humans and youkai alike at night! Though it was only a rumor, your mother wanted you within the safety of the palace walls." Inutaisho explained.

"Keh, I would have been fine!"

&&&

TBC

Read and Review!


	7. Permission to Speak

Disclaimer: I don't own YYH or Inuyasha!

_I'm sorry if the chapter is short and the update is slow…I have finals next week – it's hectic, and I have to make priorities. _

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**Permission to Speak**

Near afternoon, Kagome's stomach began grumbling from the lack of food, halting Youko in his steps. A dark blush crossed her cheeks when the kitsune raised an inquisitive eyebrow.

"Humans," she heard him mutter. "Wait here and start a fire." he ordered before turning back onto the dirt road, leading to the village they had passed an hour ago (walking at a human pace, as Youko had said). Kagome gathered some twigs and furiously rubbed them together in an attempt to start a fire. After several tries, a small spark ignited, much to her delight.

As she patiently waited for the kitsune's return, she stared lovingly at the fire, contemplating the recent events. The whole way, she had been itching to ask Youko about his half-brother, the rude one, who bad-mouthed him every chance he received. However, she knew it was not her place to ask about the kitsune's family matters (or any, for that thought), so she squashed her desire.

Several minutes later, Youko reappeared with a white bag in his hand. Tossing it to Kagome, she clumsily caught the bag that held her lunch. Opening the sack, she found several fresh rice balls, making her mouth water as the delicious smell wafted to her nose.

As she ate the rice balls, Youko asked her a question, which startled her. He never bothered to talk to her unless it was to order her to do something – not that she minded, of course. "I heard you arguing with someone before I found you. Who was it?" he asked, a look of disinterest on his face, acting as if he wasn't the one who had asked the question, but someone else.

"I forgot his name." Kagome replied, stopping mid-bite. "He said he was your half-brother." she quickly added, hoping against hope that the silver kitsune would elaborate the relationship between him and his brother. She didn't want to sound like she was prying in other's business, but she really wanted to know. They really did look alike…

But more importantly, she just wanted to know more about Youko. Anything – even his favorite color or hobby. Why something so trivial? That's because beside he's a kitsune and popular amongst youkai, she didn't know anything about him. Kagome regretted added her last sentence when she saw an annoyed look flash across the kitsune's emotionless façade.

Youko seemed to fall into deep thought, his face twisted in disgust. "I don't want you to talk to him ever again." he finally answered, startling his charge with his belated answer, nearly causing her to choke on her rice ball at the suddenness. Kagome only dumbly nodded her head as Youko stood up and brushed the dirt off his clothes. "Let's go."

Hurriedly stuffing the last rice ball into her mouth, she ran to catch up with the youkai's long, quick strides. After swallowing the food, she opened her mouth to ask where they're going, only to close her mouth again. Youko didn't look like he was in the mood for a nice little chat, not that he ever did, mind you.

A few minutes passed before Kagome gathered her courage and opened her mouth again, only to close it a second later. This process repeated itself for a couple of times before the silver kitsune came to an immediate stop and pinned Kagome with an indescribable look. Kagome seemed to shrink under his golden gaze, suddenly finding the ugly, little critters crawling on the dirt extremely dazzling in its beauty.

"If you have something to say, say it – you're irritating me – if you're afraid of disturbing me, I'll let you know that you're disturbing me even more with your lack of courage." he bluntly stated. "Ask and I'll decide if it's worth my time to answer you."

"Where are we going?"

"We're paying a little visit to the northern lord."

"Oh."

Silence followed this short exchange of dialogue.

&&&

Sesshoumaru was seriously contemplating moving out of the castle as his despised, younger half-brother popped his head into his chambers for the umpteenth time that day. "Hey, Sesshoumaru, guess what the old man said?" By old man, Sesshoumaru deducted that his half-brother meant their father. "Listen to this…he said, 'my whittle Sesshou is finally all grown up and read to get a mate'. How sweet," Inuyasha smirked.

"Get out of my chambers half-breed or you'll find your head rolling off your shoulders and down the stairs." he growled.

"Are you going to name your kid half-breed or something?" Inuyasha snorted with a delighted smile on his lips." Sesshoumaru eyes narrowed and within a fraction of a second, held Inuyasha by his throat, threatening to cut off his airway. The hanyou struggled fruitlessly in his elder brother's iron grip.

"You will die, half-breed, if you spread your tall-tale rumors. I, Sesshoumaru, love no one." With a flick of his wrist, he tossed Inuyasha out of the room, sending him sailing down the stairs, pummeling into the ground head first (courtesy of gravity). Sesshoumaru watched with a bemused expression as Inuyasha turned up his nose and stalked away…an idiotic, blissful smile on his lips.

Sesshoumaru growled - Inuyasha was going to pay dearly for even daring to ruin his reputation by tainting it with rumors of his lust for a human. Thinking back to what Inuyasha had just said, his lips curled up into a disgusted snarl. First, he doubted his father, as weak as he is, to say those utterly human words. Second, he, Sesshoumaru, would never be reduced to mating with a human and producing a half-bred heir.

Inuyasha was going to have to leave this castle…not him. This castle belonged to him as is the right to be the next lord and ruler of the western lands. If anyone was going to have to move out, it was Inuyasha. Their father can protect the half-breed now, but he couldn't protect him forever… As Inuyasha had so kindly said, the 'old man' is getting on in his years.

&&&

"Are we near a human village?" Kagome tentatively asked. If Youko was surprised, he hid it well. At the kitsune's impassive look, Kagome softly continued. "Every time we're near a human village, your nose twitches…" she admitted.

This time, Youko's eyes did widen slightly. He hadn't expected her to be observing him, much less pick up his instinctive habits. He prided himself in being untouchable (well, sort of) and unreadable. Hiding his surprise, he turned his attention back to the road before him, his pace slowing to a much more comfortable pace (for Kagome). "Yes, we're about three miles away from the next human village. It's getting dark. We'll stay there for the night."

"But it's a human village." Kagome whispered.

"And obviously, you're human."

Kagome nodded her head, though she doubted the kitsune saw her nodding (unless he had eyes in the back of his head). She wanted to ask Youko how he was going to enter the village without stirring up everybody with his presence. Even though she hadn't been out of her own village until recently, she had learned quite quickly that all villages were the same. They did not take kindly to youkai or hanyou. Just like youkai villages didn't take well to her – a human. She shuddered as she was reminded of the two youkai woman at the village…

When Kagome finally resolved to ask Youko the question that had been plaguing her mind, the kitsune, as if reading her mind, answered it by _showing_ her how he was going to into the village without instilling fear in the humans. With each step he took, his silver tresses turned darker and darker until it was pitch black. Without warning, his tail and hanyou-like ears disappeared.

"Come here," he ordered. Kagome stepped up beside the kitsune, who had stopped walking. When she locked gazes with him, she was surprised to see light brown eyes instead of the usual molten gold. Immediately, she knew she preferred his original color – it suited him better.

A few seconds passed as Kagome watched the silver kitsune shrink to a smaller, human-like size. Before long, there were no traces of him having ever been youkai in the first place. Enraptured by the change in his appearance, she missed the small smirk that flashed across the former kitsune's lips. This was the first time she had ever witnessed his transformation from youkai to ningen.

"It's only a disguise." Youko stated almost amusedly when his charge kept on staring at him in unhidden awe, looking as if she wanted to poke him in the ribs to make sure he was real. "Give me your hand." This startled Kagome out of her shocked state. Confused, she did as she was bid and stretched out her arms.

A crimson blush crossed her face when Youko clasped his larger hand over hers in a protective grip. "Youko-sama," she began, looking at their clasped hand.

"Before, it was inappropriate for us to walk too closely together because I was youkai and you, a ningen. Temporarily, for now, I am a ningen as well. If we walked like the way we did before, then it would have looked strange. I can assure you that most would assume me to be a slave trader."

"Oh."

Kagome gasped when she suddenly found herself flush against the kitsune's body. "Tonight, you are my…what do you humans call it…wife, I think?" Kagome nodded; her face a bright shade of red. "It will be the best explanation for a man and a woman traveling together."

"Why do we have to stay in the village?" Kagome asked. She silently berated herself for asking that question. It wasn't that she didn't like the idea of staying near the kitsune, it was just that ever since he said she could ask him any questions she wanted; she hadn't been able to control her mouth very well.

"Going through the village is the only way into the northern land. The northern lord has a strange sense of humor; all visiting youkai must pass through the human village. A strong, but not impenetrable barrier separates his lands from the rest. It is seen as an offense if I break through his barriers and a declaration of war if I attack his people." the kitsune sneered. "The last time I crossed as a youkai, it caused me unneeded problems and wasted time."

"I understand now!" Kagome chirped, smiling brightly. As they began walking again, hand in hand, she suddenly realized something. Youko was paying more attention to her and telling her things that he had deemed unnecessary when he had first saved her many months ago.

As they came closer to the village, they found old couples going on a moonlight stroll. Kagome was confused, weren't these people afraid of being attacked by youkai? "Youko-sama," began Kagome.

"Call me Kurama." he interrupted.

"Kurama," she whispered; the name felt foreign on her lips. "Um, why aren't they," she pointed to the old couple, "afraid of attacking youkai?"

"This place is protected by youkai slayers."

"Youkai slayers…like Sango. Isn't the four lands ruled by youkai? Why then, do they allow youkai slayers to exist?"

"They don't, but it doesn't harm them if they do exist. Youkai slayers are weak at best. Humans usually don't like to accept the fact that youkai rule their lands; therefore, they just keep telling themselves that they don't. Soon, even they began to believe themselves. But the truth of it is, whether they believe or not, it does not matter. We, youkai and _hanyou_, rule these lands."

"Hanyou…?"

"The northern and eastern lord." he spat the latter as if it was a foul-tasting medicine.

Walking past the old couple, they both caught what the two elder humans were whispering between themselves. Kagome blushed as she caught the words, "A cute, young couple." She wanted to look at the kitsune and try to asses his reaction, but couldn't find the courage to do so. She had never expected anyone to comment her in a nice way, much less about being a couple with someone (and definitely not being a couple with Youko).

"Why are you looking for the northern lord?" she suddenly asked, trying to divert her attention away from the comment made by the old couple.

"That is something you do not need to know."

"Oh okay. Um, what's your favorite color?"

"That is not important."

"What's your favorite food?"

"Once again, I don't see the need to answer that question."

"Do you ever sleep?"

"…"

"How long can you hold your disguise as a human?"

The kitsune held in a sigh (which probably would have been very uncharacteristic for him if he had given into his temptation). He was beginning to regret giving his charge permission to ask him any questions she wanted. That is, if he hadn't regretted it already. It hadn't even been a whole day and he was already answering questions he usually would have ignored. Four days…between the span of four days, he had given a human the liberty of talking to him as she wished. Something not even Yomi was given the permission to do.

Oh, how was he going to explain this disaster to Kuronue? Knowing his friend, he'll probably laugh his head off. If anyone else heard it…well, he didn't know what they'll say. He, Youko Kurama, feared youkai…and Kagome, a pitiful human…He didn't even want to think about the possibilities of the rumors that could spread from this. That is why nothing that transpired tonight will ever be spoken of again.

Too bad time cannot reverse itself…nor can his mistake be erased. By giving his charge his permission, he had given her courage. Before, she did not dare to question or even speak to him. Now…he wasn't so sure. He didn't know what possessed him to say what he did earlier today and it was too late to take back his words. He silently promised himself that nothing like this would ever happen again – he will learn to have better reign over his impulses and emotions – they were weaknesses.

&&&

TBC

:) How was that? I hope it wasn't too rushed...it wasn't meant to be. Youko's getting a little mixed feeling.


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